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Uniform with this Volume, with Frontispiece, price 3s. 
cloth, os. 6d. gilt edges. 

OUB SOLDIERS; 

OR, 

ANECDOTES OF THE CAMPAIGNS AND 
GALLANT DEEDS OF THE BRITISH ARMY 

DURING THE REIGN OF 



SECOND EDITION 




II. W. HEWETT, MATP: OF II. M.S. " BEAGLE," AT SEBASTOPOL. 



Page 107 



Prom a painting by 1. W. Desanges, in the Victoria Cross Gallery. 



OUR SAILORS: 



OR, 



ANECDOTES OF THE ENGAGEMENTS AND 
GALLANT DEEDS OF 

THE BRITISH NAVY 

luring fyj Urigit nf 
HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA. 



BY 



.; 



WILLIAM H. G. KINGSTON, 

AUTHOR OF u PETER THE WHALER," "MARK SEAWORTH,' 
"TRUE BLUE," "OUR SOLDIERS," ETC. 






S£ 




LONDON: 

GRIFFITH AND FARRAN, 

SUOO-ESSOES TO NEWBERY AND HARRIS, 

CORNER OF ST, PAUL'S CHURCHYARD. 

MDCCCLXV. 



J] A 
V 



MURRAY AND G1BB, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH. 



PREFACE. 

The following pages will be found to contain accounts 
of a considerable number of the gallant actions per- 
formed by naval men since Her Most Gracious Majesty 
Queen Victoria came to the throne ; but it in no way 
aims at being a complete Naval History of her reign. 

My chief object, when designing the work, was to 
show that the present Navy of Great Britain has in no 
respects degenerated from that of olden times, great 
and glorious as it was ; that when opportunities have 
occurred, the Blue Jackets of to-day, both officers and 
men, have been found ready as ever to perform their 
duty — to dare and to do as was dared and done of yore ; 
that, in truth, they are worthy scions of the ancient 
race — true chips of the old block. 

The following accounts will, I think, also tend to 
prove that the British Navy is not kept up for mere 
pomp and parade, or for supporting in idleness any 
class of the community ; but that whenever hard blows 
have been exchanged, it has given and taken a fair 
share of them — that it has been ever actively employed 
in protecting British Colonies and British Commerce in 
all parts of the world — that through its means disputes 



VI PREFACE. 



have been settled, which could in no other way have been 
brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and might have 
plunged the nation in war — that it has ever been found 
engaged on the side of justice and humanity — that not 
only has it, on numberless occasions, preserved the lives 
and property of British subjects, but also the existence 
of thousands of human beings of all nations and creeds, 
and of every degree of civilisation, who would, without 
its aid, have been doomed to destruction— that by its 
exertions British trade to China, South America, and 
many other parts of the world, has been immeasurably 
increased — that with much suffering and sacrifice of life 
it has, in the most pestiferous of climates, greatly de- 
creased, and in some places suppressed, the nefarious 
slave-trade — that for the benefit of science and naviga- 
tion, it has explored the most distant regions, pene- 
trating to the icy poles as well as up the rivers of 
Africa — that it has surveyed a wide extent of coast, 
visited constantly by merchantmen, though, to their 
great peril, often before imperfectly known — that it 
has made the British name loved and respected in all 
lands — and that without a single exception, under 
circumstances the most difficult, and trials the most 
appalling, it has ever been found willing and ready 
nobly to do its duty. 

Feeling sensibly the importance of a work of a cha- 
racter like the present, I can scarcely do it adequate 
justice ; and this arises from no want of zeal on my 
part, but from the difficulty of collecting from naval 
men full accounts of the gallant deeds they have per- 



PREFACE. Vll 

formed, their modesty often preventing them from 
giving their narratives with the desirable completeness. 

True bravery may be discovered, arid discipline may 
be conspicuous in the darkest night during the horrors 
of the storm — on the sinking wreck — on the barren 
sands of a desert island — on the unmanageable raft, 
amid sickness and famine, with a lowering and uncer- 
tain future ahead ; or they may shine with lustre among 
a crew, ice-bound for long years, with hope deferred, on 
the snow-clad shores of the Polar Sea. 

Before I conclude my Preface, I must beg my readers, 
especially the younger ones, to watch, as they proceed 
with the narrative, the career of those whose names are 
mentioned. Many who appear as midshipmen, mates, 
or young lieutenants, will be found rising, by their gal- 
lantry and talents, to the higher ranks of the profession, 
still continuing in the same noble course in which they 
commenced — some of them as leaders in expeditions and 
exploits, which, increasing the glory of their country, 
must make them honoured and admired while Great 
Britain has a history in which their deeds can be chro- 
nicled. 

The first portion of the work has appeared before, 
but I have greatly abridged it, in order to give fuller 
accounts of events of more recent date, so that more 
than two-thirds of the book is entirely new ; and the 
latter part will, I hope, be found even more interesting 
than the commencement. 

I would draw attention especially to the narrative 
of the North Polar Expeditions, and to the thrilling 



Vlll PREFACE. 

accounts of those sent forth to ascertain the fate of the 
lamented Franklin. They display to great advantage 
the hardihood, courage, and obedience to discipline for 
which the true British seaman ever has been, and will, 
I trust, ever be, conspicuous. 

My aim, I must again repeat, has been not so much 
to chronicle all the noble deeds achieved during the 
reign of our Gracious Sovereign, as to prove, by as 
many examples as I could collect, that her Navy has 
not been idle or useless during her reign, and that her 
officers and seamen are as bold and brave, as loyal and 
true, as were those of yore ; that, as I before have 
said, her " Blue Jackets are true Chips of the Old 
Block." 



CONTENTS. 



WAR ON THE COAST OF SYRIA, 1840 
Bombardment of Beyrout, September 1840 
Attack on the Castle of D'Jebel 

Capture of Sidon 

Capture of Caiffa 



Bombardment and Capture of Acre, 3d November 1840 



PAGE 

3 
4 
5 
6 



WARFARE IN CHINESE WATERS .... 11 

Capture of Chusan . . . ... . . .13 

Capture of Chin-Keang-Foo, and Entry of Sir H. Pot- 
tinger into Nankin ; with concluding Remarks. 21st 
July 1842 16 

Gallantry of Mr H. F. M'Killop, Midshipman of H.M.S. 

1 Belleisle,' June 1842 22 

Courage of Mr Turner, Mate of H.M.S. ' Serpent,' August 

1842 23 

Seaman's Life saved by Lieutenant R. C. Whyte, Janu- 
ary 1844 23 

Lieutenants Caldwell and Vansittart, R.N., Hong-Kong, 

December 1843 24 

The Life of the Hon. Frederick William Walpole saved 
by Mr R. Dew, Mate of H.M.S. ' Collingwood,' at 
Callao, 20th August 1844 25 



X CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CAPTUEE OF THE CARTHAGENIAN FLEET BY 

LIEUTENANT DE COURCY, February 1841 . 28 

SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY IN BORNEO AND THE 
EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO. 

Sketch of Rajah Brooke 31 

Attack on Sarebus Pirates by Boats of H.M.S. 'Dido' . 32 

WARFARE ON THE RIVERS LA PLATA AND 
PARANA. 

Battle of the Parana, 30th November 1845 ... 37 
Engagements with the Batteries of San Lorenzo . . 41 
Gallant Exploit of Lieutenant Mackinnon with his 

Rocket Ba-ttery against the Forts of San Lorenzo . 45 

THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND, 1845-1847 ... 54 

EXPEDITION TO SAN JUAN DE NICARAGUA, under 
Captain G. G. Loch, R.N. 
Capture of Fort Serapaqui, 21st February 1848 . . 55 

THE DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS, 26th December 1851. 

Description of Lagos 59 

Second Attack on and Destruction of Lagos, 26th December 

1851 . 60 

THE WAR WITH BURMAH, 1851, 1852. 

Capture of Martaban, Rangoon, and Bassein ... 68 

Commencement of Hostilities 69 

Capture of Pegu, 14th June 1852 72 

Expedition up the Irrawaddy, under Captain Tarleton, 

R.N., and Capture of Prome, 9th July ... 73 

Operations on the Irrawaddy 76 

Attacks on Mya Toon, the Robber Chieftain . . .76 



CONTENTS, XI 

PAGE 

THE EUSSIAN WAB, 1854, 1855 . . . . . 81 

Bombardment of Odessa 82 

Loss of the 'Tiger' . . . . . . . .83 

Operations in the Baltic 83 

1 Arrogant' and ' Hecla,' 19th May 84 

Attack on Fort Gustavusvarn, Hango Bay, 22d May . 8G 

' Odin' and ' Vulture' at Gamla Carleby, 1st June . . 87 

Bomarsund, 21st June 88 

Commander Bythesea . . . ... . .91 

The 'Arrogant's' Attack on Viborg, 13th July 1855 . 92 

Bombardment of Sveaborg 96 

The White Sea Squadron ...... 97 

'Firebrand' and 'Vesuvius' in the Danube, June and 

July 1854 98 

Bombardment of Sebastopol, 17th October 1854 . . 101 

, Crimean Naval Brigade 106 

Captain William Peel, B.N., H.M.S. ' Leander ' . .108 

Edward St John Daniels 109 

Bravery of Five Seamen at Inkerman .... 110 

Commander Koby 110 

Dashing Service of John Shepherd, Boatswain . . Ill 

Expedition to Kertch 115 

Proceedings at Taganrog 117 

' Beagle' off Genitchi.— Gallantry of S. Trewavas, Sea- 
man ...... x . . . 118 

Brave Devotion of J. Kell away, Boatswain . . . 119 

Lieutenant G. F. Day at Genitchi 120 

Commander J. E. Commerell, of the ' Weser,' and Wil- 
liam Eickard, Quartermaster 121 

Capture of Kinburn, 17th October 1855 .... 122 



BLUE-JACKETS ON SHOEE. 

The ' Shannon's ' Brigade in India 124 



Xll CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

THE SECOND CHINESE WAR, 1856-1860 . . .136 

Battle of Fatshan 140 

Capture of Canton, 29th December .... 145 



SPIRITED AND GALLANT EXPLOITS. Lives Pre- 
served by Naval Men. 
Heroism of Lieut. Christopher, and Presence of Mind of 

James Miles 148 

Devoted Heroism and Courage of Messrs Smith and 

Palmes, of H.M.S. ' Serin gapatam,' 1838 . . .154 
A Second Act of Gallantry recorded of Mr W. R. Smith 162 
Account of Rescue of Boat's Crew of H.M.S. 'Wolverine' 
by Lieut. Arthur Burrard Kingston, R.N., 16th Janu- 
ary 1840 . . 163 

Boy's Life saved by Lieut. A. B. Kingston . . .177 
Mr Henry Shea, Assistant- Surgeon, R.N., Mediterranean, 

July 1837 178 

Lieut. F. H. Stevens, R.N., Mediterranean, August 1837 178 
Lieut. John Stephens, R.N., Lisbon, December 1837 . 179 
William Jennings, Coast Guard Boatman, November 

1838 179 

Instance of Courage and Humanity 180 

Arthur Hassett, Boatman, Coast Guard, Cove of Cork, 

October 1839 181 

Commander Aldridge, R.N., Vasika Bay, October 1839 . 181 
Mr Richards, R.N., off Brighton, June 1842 . . .181 
James Doran, Seaman, January 1843 .... 182 
Mr Thomas Davis, Mate, R.N., and Joseph Brathwaite. 

Seaman, R.N., Bantry Baj T , January 1844 . .182 

Mr W. C. Geary, Mate, R.N., Gulf of Egina, August 1844 183 
Lieut. F. P. Warren, R.N., in Madras Roads, June 1845 184 
Lieut. William E. Fisher, R.N., Cove of Cork, November 

1845 184 

Lieut. Henry W. Hire, R.N., Mediterranean, Dec. 1845 . 185 



CONTENTS. Xlll 

PAGE 

Commander Wooldridge and Mr Birt whistle, Mate, R.N., 

Sheerness, June 1845 185 

Lieut. Newman, R.N., and Boat's Crew, Coast Guard, 

Dungeness, January 1846 ...... 186 

Mr F. S. Gibson, R.N., Grand Bassa, Africa, January 1846 187 

Lieut. Tathani, R.N., Chatham, April 1846 . . . 187 

Commander J. W. Finch, R.N., Portsmouth, July 1846 . 187 

Mr Charles E. H. Farrant, Master's Assistant, R.N., Val- 
paraiso, September 1848 188 

Lieutenant Sherard Osborne, R.N., Portsmouth, Sep- 
tember 1848 189 

Henry Laughrin, Boatswain's Mate, H.M.S. ' Calliope,' 

Rio de Janeiro, November 1848 . . . .190 

John Huggins, Quartermaster of H.M.S. ' Scourge,' 

Trinidad, etc., February 1849 . . . . .190 

Commander J. W. Tarleton, R.N., Genoa, March 1849 . 191 

Commander Oliver Jones, R.N., Cove of Cork, March 1849 191 

Lieut. C. S. Stanhope, R.N., H.M.S. ' Asia,' at Sea, August 

1850 192 

Mr T. H. Julian, Second-Master, R.N., Plymouth, July 

1851 193 

Lieut. Sauinarez, R.N., H.M.S. 'Volcano,' off Sierra 

Leone, Africa, March 1851 193 

Charles Loxton, Sailmakers Mate, H.M.B. 'Rolla, 7 Lover, 

August 1851 . . 194 

Mr Skead, Second-Master, and Mr Lambe, Midshipman, 

R.K, of H.M.S. ' Trafalgar,' off Malta, 1852 . . 194 

Mr Ward, Boatswain, R.N., H.M.S. ' Gladiator,' Africa, 1851 195 

Commander Allan H. Gardner, H.M.S. ' Waterwitch,' 

Africa, 1851 .196 

Lieut. Pyne, R.N., H.M.S. 'Prince Regent,' Lisbon, De- 
cember 1851 196 

Mr Sullivan, Midshipman of H.M.S. 'Megaera,' at Sea, 

1852 197 

Commander Tarleton, H.M.S. ' Fox,' Rangoon, 1852 . 197 



XIV CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

ENGAGEMENTS WITH PIEATES AND SLAVERS. 

Lieut. F. J. D'Aguilar defeats an attempt to retake a 

Prize captured by H.M.S. ' Grecian,' Brazil, 1848 . 199 

THE AFRICAN COAST BLOCKADE. 

Chases and Captures of Slavers, and Gallant Deeds per- 
formed by the Officers and Men of the Squadron . 201 

Capture of Brazilian Slaver 'Firme'' by the Boats of 

H.M.S. ' Dolphin, 1 1840 204 

Voyage of the 'Dores,' a Slaver captured by H.M.S. 
' Dolphin,' from Accra to Sierra Leone, under com- 
mand of Lieut. Augustus C. Murray, from 12th 
August 1840 to 5th January 1841 . . . .206 

Capture of an armed Slaver by a four-oared Gig, under 

command of Mr Tottenham, Mate, 1844 . . . 212 

Lieut. Lodwick's (in the 'Growler's' Pinnace) gallant 

Attack on a Slaver, 1845 213 

Capture of the ' Felicidade' and ' Echo' Slavers by H.M.S. 
'Wasp,' and Recapture of 'Felicidade' by H.M.S. 
'Star,' 1845 215 

Capture of a Slaver by H.M.S. ' Pantaloon,' 1845 . . 217 

Lieut. Mansfield and Prize-Crew — Defence of the ' Romeo 

Primero' against an attempt at Recapture, 1847 . 219 

GALLANT DEEDS. 

Humanity of Lieut. Breen, R.N., ' Ganges,' Mediter- 
ranean, 1850 222 

Gallantry exhibited in preserving Life — Capt. Wasey, 

R.N., 1860 223 

Gallantry of Lieutenant Boyle, R.N 226 

Lowestoft Life-Boat 228 

Bravery of Joseph Rogers, a Maltese Seaman of the 

'Royal Charter,' 25th October 1859 .... 229 



CONTENTS. XV 

PAGE 

Ramsgate Life-Boat 232 

Keniarkable instance of Endurance of a Crew of British 

Seamen 233 

THE EEOAPTURE OF THE 'EMILY ST PIERRE' 

By Captain William Wilson, 1862 237 

ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

The North- West Passage 243 

Voyage of the 'Fox' 272 

The Fate of Sir John Franklin's Expedition . . . 276 

ACTS OF HEROISM PERFORMED OF LATE BY 

NAVAL MEN 280 



BATTLES 



FOUGHT BY 



BRITISH BLUE-JACKETS 

Jfrom % %tamm oi ($mm f utoxhu 



Let fall the topsails, hoist away — up anchor, round 
goes the capstan — sheet home — haul taught the braces, 
and away we glide, to prove to our countrymen that 
British sailors have not been sleeping on beds of roses 
for the last quarter of a century of the world's existence, 
since her gracious Majesty Queen Victoria came to the 
throne. During the first years of her reign they had 
little to do in the fighting way, though on the coast of 
Africa, and in a few other seas, they enjoyed an occa- 
sional skirmish, just to keep their hands in. 

Somewhat of that character was the capture of Aden, 
an Arab town on the entrance of the Red Sea. A 
former Sultan, or Chief of Aden, had by treaty given 
up the place to the British ; but his successor, not 
approving of the bargain, refused to submit to it. As 
it was important for the English to hold it, to facili- 
tate the navigation of the Red Sea, an expedition 
under Captain Smith, of the ' Volage/ was sent by Sir 

A 



6 CAPTURE OF ADEN. 

Frederick Maitland, then Commander-in-Chief on the 
East India station, to bring the Sultan to reason. 

Captain Smith had, besides his own ship, three other 
smaller vessels of war and some transports. 

He commenced bombarding the town on the 19th 
January, and immediately landed the troops. After 
a tolerably stout resistance, the greater part of the 
Sultan's army took to flight. Sixteen soldiers were 
killed and wounded ; and one naval officer, Mr Msbet, 
midshipman of the ' Mahe,' East India Company's 
schooner, was wounded. Mr Kundle, mate of the 
' Volage,' planted the British flag on the walls of Aden, 
which has ever since remained in our possession. 



WAR ON THE COAST OF SYRIA. 

1840. 

The next warfare in which the English Blue-jackets 
were engaged, was that on the coast of Syria, in 1840, 
The causes are not difficult to understand. Mehemet 
Ali, Pasha or Governor of Egypt, wished not only to 
make himself altogether independent of the Sultan of 
Turkey, who claimed to be his sovereign, but also to 
hold possession of Syria. Into that country he sent 
an army under the command of Ibrahim Pacha, who 
was everywhere successful, and was approaching Con- 
stantinople itself. This so alarmed the Sultan, that 
he was about to ask for assistance from the Russians. 
On this, England, France, and Austria thought it high 
time to interfere ; for had the Russians once taken 
possession of Constantinople, it would have been a 
difficult matter to turn them out again. Accordingly, 
those three powers sent to the Turks to promise them 
assistance if they would hold out, and immediately 
despatched a large number of ships-of-war to the coast 
of Syria. Sir Robert Stopford was the Admiral of the 
British fleet, and Sir Charles Napier, having his broad 
pennant flying, commanded a squadron under him. 

The proceedings of that fleet, and the deeds of the 
Blue-jackets belonging to it, we are now about to 
recount. 



4 BOMBARDMENT OF BEYROUT. 

BOMBARDMENT OF BEYROUT. 

September 1840. 

The first place attacked was the town and fortress 
of Beyrout. The English had thirteen sailing ships 
and four steamers. There was a Turkish squadron 
of seven ships, under Admiral Walker, who was then 
in the service of the Sultan, and three Austrian ships. 
Though cannonaded for several days, the place still 
held out. However, on the 2d of October, an Egyp- 
tian gunner, who had deserted, came on board the 
' Hastings,' at Beyront, and gave information that a 
train had been laid along the bridge to the eastern 
castle, where a large quantity of powder was con- 
cealed ; and he undertook to guide a party to cut the 
train and seize the powder. 

Commander Worth at once offered to perform this 
dangerous service, and numbers volunteered to follow 
him. He embarked in one of the boats of the * Hast- 
ings,' protected by the launch and pinnace of the 
' Edinburgh,' and covered by the fire of the ships. 
Dashing on, in the face of a heavy fire of musketry, 
he landed on the bridge, cut off the train, and then 
forced his way into the castle, over the walls of which 
he threw some sixty or seventy barrels of powder, and 
succeeded in bringing off thirty-one barrels more. 

Unfortunately, in this service Mr Luscomb, a mid- 
shipman of the c Hastings,' was killed ; the Egyptian, 
and two seamen of the c Hastings,' and one of the 
' Edinburgh,' were wounded. 



ATTACK ON THE CASTLE OF D'jEBEL. 



ATTACK ON THE CASTLE OF D'jEBEL. 

A strong body of Albanian troops being posted in the 
Castle of D'Jebel, Captain Martin was despatched in 
the 'Carysfort,' with the 'Dido' and 'Cyclops,' having 
on board 220 marines and 150 armed mountaineers, to 
turn them out. 

As soon as the marines were prepared for landing, 
the ships opened their fire on the castle, which was 
returned by musket-shots. 

After the fire had been continued for an hour, the 
marines, commanded by Captain Robinson, accom- 
panied by a large party of armed mountaineers, pushed 
off from the ' Cyclops,' and formed on the beach to the 
south of the town, their landing being covered by the 
ships, which again opened on the castle. The fire from 
the ships and the launch's carronades having cleared 
the gardens in front of the castle, the signal was made 
to push on. The marines on this advanced with their 
invariable gallantry to the assault ; but when they got 
within thirty yards of the towers, a destructive fire was 
opened on them from a crenelled outwork, having a 
deep ditch in front, which was completely masked 
from the fire of the ships, and numbers fell killed and 
wounded. In vain Captain Robinson and the other 
officers looked for some part of the castle-wall which 
might prove practicable. No gate was accessible, and 
they were therefore compelled to abandon the enter- 
prise. At half-past five o'clock they embarked, and the 
firing ceased. The party were retiring, when it was 
discovered that an English flag, which had been planted 
on a garden-wall by the pilot of the ' Cyclops,' as a 
signal to the ships, had been accidentally left there. 



b CAPTURE OF SIDON. 

To allow it to fall into the hands of the enemy would 
be a disgrace which could not be borne, yet to recover 
it would be a work of great danger. However, volun- 
teers were not wanting to attempt its recovery ; and 
Lieutenant Grenfell, and Macdonald, a seaman of the 
4 Cyclops,' undertook to bring it off. 

Without delay they set off on their hazardous ex- 
pedition. Their progress was watched with the most 
intense anxiety from the decks of the ships. They 
reached the garden-wall — they seized the flag-staff, 
and hauling down the flag, they hastened with their 
prize to the shore. 

Loud cheers from all the ships greeted them as they 
returned on board uninjured and successful. 



CAPTURE OF SIDON. 

While the fleet lay off Beyrout, it was considered im- 
portant to drive the Egyptians out of Sidon, a strong 
and important place. Commodore Napier undertook 
to perform the work, and be back off Beyrout in three 
days. With two steamers and five other ships, having 
on board 750 English and 800 Turkish marines, he 
appeared off the place on the 26th September. The 
town being summoned to surrender, and no answer 
being given, it was cannonaded for half an hour. Cap- 
tain Austin, at the head of the Turkish battalion, 
landed, but was very warmly received, and several of 
his followers were killed. The fleet again accordingly 
opened fire, and battered down a number of houses, 
after which the Commodore, at the head of the main 
body of the British marines, and Captain Henderson 



CAPTURE OF CAIFFA. 7 

at the head of another, in the most spirited manner 
broke open the gates, fought their way in, and took 
possession of the castle. Numberless acts of gallantry 
were displayed. Among others, there was a complete 
race from the spot where they landed, between Mr 
James Hunt, a midshipman of the ' Stromboli,' and 
Signer Dominica Chinca, a midshipman of the Austrian 
frigate ; Guerriera,' who should first plant their colours 
on the walls of the town. All now appeared quiet in 
the town, the Commodore left a guard in the castle, 
and descended into it. No town was ever taken where 
less blood was unnecessarily spilt, or disorders more 
speedily put a stop to. 

Commander Mansel was highly spoken of ; as were 
also Captains Henderson and Austin, Commanders 
Robinson and Williams, and Captains Morrison and 
Wylock, of the Marines. Mr Cumming, a mate of 
the ' Cyclops,' particularly distinguished himself by his 
gallantry ; as did Messrs M'Guire and Price, mates of 
long standing, who were both severely wounded. 

Not one of the garrison, 3000 in number, escaped. 



CAPTURE OF CAIFFA. 

Caiffa was captured on the 17th September, by 
Captain Collier, of H.M.S. ' Castor/ and Tyre on the 
24th, without loss. On the 25th, an attempt was 
made to destroy Tortosa. It was unsuccessful, but 
great gallantry was shown by Lieutenants Charlewood 
and Maitland, and Midshipmen Hay and Stewart gained 
great credit. 



8 BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF ACRE. 

BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF ACRE. 
3d November 1840. 
Ibrahim Pacha, who had taken Acre in 1837, had 
commenced to strengthen it greatly ; but the fortifica- 
tions he had. designed were not completed when the 
allied squadron of twenty ships, mostly line-of-battle 
ships, appeared off it, 2d November 1840. Aided by 
the steamers, the ships the next morning speedily took 
up their positions, and opened their fire in the most 
spirited manner. 

After the ships had hotly engaged the batteries for 
nearly two hours, the grand magazine blew up with a 
most tremendous explosion, whether caused by a shell 
or by accident it is difficult to say. A large number 
of the garrison were blown up, and many probably 
were buried alive in the ruins or in the casements. 
The five guns before mentioned, notwithstanding this 
catastrophe, kept up their fire with great spirit to the 
last. About sunset the signal was made to discontinue 
the engagement ; but the Commodore kept the fire up 
some time after dusk, lest the enemy should be tempted 
to re-man their guns. The Flag-Lieutenant then 
brought the orders to withdraw. 

In the middle of the night a small boat brought off 
the information that the Egyptian troops were leaving 
the town, and, in consequence, at daylight 300 Turks 
and a party of Austrian marines landed, and took un- 
opposed possession of the place. The havoc caused 
by the guns of the squadron on the walls and houses 
was very great, though, notwithstanding the hot and 
long-continued fire they had been exposed to, the ships 
escaped with little damage, and the amount of casual- 



BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF ACRE. \) 

ties was very small, being fourteen English and four 
Turks killed, and forty -two wounded. 

An entire battalion, which had been formed near the 
magazine, ready to resist any attempts to storm, was 
destroyed. The appearance of the dead and wounded, 
as they lay scattered about the town, was very dread- 
ful, but they seemed to excite but little sympathy in 
the breasts of the Turks. Every living creature within 
the area of 60,000 square yards round the magazine 
had ceased to exist, the loss of life being computed 
from 1200 to 2000 persons. Certainly two entire 
regiments were annihilated, with fifty donkeys, thirty 
camels, twelve cows, and some horses. 

This was the first occasion on which the advantages 
of steam had been fully proved in battle, by the rapidity 
with which the steamers took up their positions, and the 
assistance they rendered to the other ships ; as also by 
the destruction caused through the shells thrown from 
them. 

On the 4th another explosiou took place, by which 
a marine was killed, and Captain Collier had his leg 
fractured. 

The garrison being placed in a state of order, was 
left under the command of Sir Charles Smith, with 
3000 Turkish troops and 250 marines, under Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Walker, with the protection of the ' Pique' 
and ' StrombohV 

The results of the capture of Acre were very im- 
portant. Ibrahim Pacha evacuated Syria, and Mehemet 
Aii gave up the whole Turkish fleet, which sailed for 
Marmorice, under Admiral Walker. Soon after, the 
Sultan sent a firman according to the Pacha the here- 
ditary possession of Egypt, without any interference 



10 BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF ACRE. 

on the part of the Porte, while a yearly tribute of 
£2,000,000 was to be paid to the Sultan, besides about 
£2,000,000 more of arrears. 

Thus terminated the part taken by the British in 
the affairs of Turkey and Egypt. 



WARFARE IN CHINESE WATERS. 

The war in China was undertaken to punish the 
Government for the numerous injuries and insults they 
had offered to the English, and, by teaching them to 
respect our power, to induce them to trade with us on 
fair and equal terms, and to treat us in future as one 
civilised people should treat another ; also to demand 
reparation of grievances, and payment for the property 
of British subjects destroyed at Canton ; to obtain a 
guarantee against similar occurrences in future ; and, 
what was of the greatest importance, to open up the 
trade at the different ports along the coast. 

With these objects to be accomplished, a large 
squadron, with a number of transports containing a 
considerable body of troops, were despatched in 1840 
by the Governor-General of India to the Chinese seas. 

Soon after this, a large fleet arrived from England, 
under the command of Admiral the Honourable G. 
Elliot, while Sir Gordon Bremer had his broad pen- 
nant flying on board the c Wellesley.' Captain Elliot, 
R.N., it must be understood, was acting on shore as 
Chief-Superintendent of Trade. 

The Chinese, though very clever fellows in some re- 
spects, and especially so in their own opinions, entertain 
notions which appear somewhat comical to English- 
men. While the British fleets were collecting, they 
were making preparations in their own way for their 
reception. They had purchased an English merchant- 



12 WARFARE IN CHINESE WATERS. 

ship — the ' Cambridge' — intending to turn her into a 
man-of-war, and had built some strange-looking little 
schooners upon a European model, for the purpose of 
employing them against the English. Commissioner 
Lin also got up some sham fights at the Bogue, dress- 
ing those who were to act as assailants in red coats, 
in order to accustom the defenders to the sight of the 
red uniform — the red-coats, of course, being always 
driven back with tremendous slaughter. They also 
ran up formidable-looking forts along the banks of 
many of their rivers, which on examination, however, 
turned out to be merely thin planks painted. The 
object of these was to alarm the barbarians, and to 
prevent them from entering their harbours. But the 
crowning and most ingenious device, was the construc- 
tion of some vessels with large paddle-wheels, like those 
of steamers, which were worked inside by men ; though, 
that they might appear to be real steamers, they had, 
it is said, funnels, and fires under them, to create a 
smoke. 

Although from these accounts it would appear that 
the Chinese are not very formidable enemies, it must be 
understood that they also possessed some forts which 
were really very strong; and that though the true 
Chinese are not very fond of fighting, and, from their 
peculiar temperament, look upon discretion as the best 
part of valour, and prefer running away to stopping 
with the certainty of being shot or bayoneted, yet 
that, as they fully understand division of labour, they 
employ a large number of Tartars to do their fighting 
for them. These Tartars are very brave fellows, and 
so are their officers ; and in numberless instances they 
preferred death to defeat. They invariably fought to 



CAPTURE OF CHUSAN. 13 

the last, and often, when they could fight no longer, 
cut the throats of their wives and children, and then 
their own, rather than yield. This horrible custom 
arose undoubtedly from ignorance, they believing that 
their conquerors would ill-treat and enslave them, if 
they captured them alive. Besides these Tartar troops, 
who were far from contemptible enemies, our gallant 
Red-coats and Blue-jackets had to contend with the 
pernicious climate of the South of China, by which, more 
than by the jingall-balls of the enemy, numbers were 
cut off. The Tartars we have been speaking of are 
powerful men, and armed with long spears ; and often 
they crossed with the British bayonet, for which the 
long spear was sometimes more than a match. Hand- 
to-hand encounters with the Tartar troops were not 
uncommon, and our men learned to their cost that they 
had held the Chinese too cheap. Instances occurred in 
which the powerful Tartar soldier rushed within the 
bayonet guard of his opponent, and grappled with him 
for life or death. 

A full description of the numerous actions which took 
place from the commencement to the termination of the 
war, extending over so many months, would at the 
present day be far from interesting. We shall, in 
many instances, but briefly allude to them. 



CAPTURE OF CHUSAN. 



The first operation of importance was the capture of 
Chusan by a naval and military force, under Sir Gordon 
Bremer. The Commodore first humanely sent a de- 
putation on shore, demanding the surrender of the town. 



14 CAPTURE OF CHUSAN. 

This was positively refused. During the following night 
the people were seen strengthening their fortifications, 
while the inhabitants were flying up the river in their 
merchant-junks, which were allowed to'pass without im- 
pediment, although their cargoes very^probably would 
have made the fortunes of many a British officer : but 
our Blue-jackets had not come to war against civilians 
and women and children. Indeed, to their credit, in no 
instance throughout the war, did the helpless suffer 
injury at the hands either of British soldiers or sailors. 

On 19th August 1840, Captain Smith in the 'Druid,' 
and a few smaller ships of war, and some troops, 
attacked and defeated the Chinese in a very spirited 
manner, stationed in some fortifications known as the 
Macao Barrier. The guns were spiked, and the whole 
of the troops fled ; nor did they ever again occupy the 
barrier. Two junks were sunk, and the rest allowed to 
escape round the opposite point, and the barracks and 
the other buildings were burned. The British, having 
four men only wounded, re-embarked, and the ships 
returned the same evening to their former anchorage 
in Macao Roads. This well-timed and important piece 
of service of Captain Smith's was the last hostile move- 
ment of the British during the year 1840. On the 6th 
November, a truce was announced by Admiral Elliot, 
and on the 29th he resigned his command from extreme 
ill-health, and returned to England, leaving Sir Gordon 
Bremer as Commander-in-Chief. 

After this, nothing very remarkable was done till the 
Bogue forts were captured, on the 7th January 1841. 
The Chinese Emperor had only opened negotiations for 
the purpose of gaining time ; it was resolved, therefore, 
to attack Canton itself. Several fleets of war-junks 



CAPTURE OF CHUSAN. 15 

were destroyed, some of the junks being blown up 
with all on board. On the 26th of February, the Boea 
Tigris forts were taken by Sir Gordon Bremer ; and on 
the 5th of March, the squadron having advanced up 
the river, Howqua's fort was captured. Other forts in 
succession fell into the hands of the British force ; and 
on the 28th of March, the passage up to Whampoa 
being forced, the forts of Canton and a large Chinese 
flotilla were captured. After this, the Chinese came to 
terms ; trade was again opened, and went on for some 
time with great activity. All this time, however, the 
treacherous Chinese were plotting how they might ex- 
terminate the English; and on the night of the 21st 
May, a bold attempt was made by them to destroy the 
British fleet by means of fire-rafts. The attempt, how- 
ever, was happily defeated, and warlike operations were 
once more commenced. 

During these operations, Mr Hall performed a gallant 
act, which probably saved the lives of Captains Elliot 
and Herbert, and all standing near. A Congreve 
rocket had been placed in a tube, and ignited when 
it hung within it, instead of flying out. In another 
moment it would have burst, scattering destruction 
around, when Mr Hall thrust his arm into the tube 
and forced it out from behind. The rush of fire, how- 
ever, severely burnt his hand, and caused him much 
suffering. It was long indeed before he recovered the 
use of his hand. We mention it as a worthy act of 
presence of mind and courage. 

Canton was now attacked both by sea and laud, and 
after some severe fighting, which lasted from the 23d 
up to the 30th of May, that important city was taken 
possession of by the British. 



16 CAPTURE OF CHIN-KEANG-FOO. 

Ainoy was captured on the 26th of August in a 
dashing manner, and Chinghae on the 10th of October 
1841, and Ningpo was occupied on the 12th of the 
same month. Early in the year, Captain Hall and the 
officers and crew of the ' Nemesis ' had a spirited brush 
with the Chinese, to the north of Chusan. After this, 
the enemy kept at a distance from that place. 

Several attempts were made by the Chinese to de- 
stroy the ships of the squadron, each time defeated by 
the vigilance of the officers and crews. On the 13th 
of May 1843, Chapoo, a large town near the sea, was 
attacked and captured ; and Woosung and Shanghai 
shared the same fate on the 16th and 19 th of June, 
the greater part of the fighting on both occasions being 
performed by the seamen and marines of the fleet. 



CAPTURE OF CHIN-KEANG-FOO, AND ENTRY OF SIR H. 
POTTINGER INTO NANKIN; WITH CONCLUDING RE- 
MARKS. 

21st July 1842. 

We at length come to the last and crowning victory of 
the British in China. 

Considerable reinforcements having arrived, it was 
at length resolved to advance on Nankin itself, the 
ancient capital of the empire, as the most certain way 
of bringing the Chinese to terms. To reach that city 
the Admiral had determined to conduct his fleet, con- 
sisting of nearly eighty sail, including two line-of-battle 
ships, up the great river Yang-Tze, into the very heart 
of the empire, 200 miles from the sea. 

On the 6th July, this imposing fleet passed up the 



CAPTURE OF CHIN-KEANG-FOO. 17 

river without any opposition, the Chinese having even 
withdrawn their guns from most of the towns on its 
banks, to escape the injury they expected would be in- 
flicted had they made any hostile demonstration. At 
Seshan, however, about fifteen miles below Chin-Keang- 
foo, some batteries at the foot of a hill, mounting some 
twenty guns, opened their fire on the 'Pluto' and 
'Nemesis,' as those vessels were surveying in advance ; 
and on the following day, having fired on the ' Modeste,' 
she very speedily drove out their garrisons, and de- 
stroyed them completely. 

On the 16th, the naval and military Commanders- 
in-Chief went up the river in the i Vixen,' followed by 
the ' Medusa,' to reconnoitre the approaches to Chin- 
Keang-foo. They approached the entrance of the 
Imperial Canal, which passes close to the city walls. 
It is one of the greatest works in China for facilitating 
the internal water communication through the country. 
As no soldiers were seen on the walls, and no other 
preparations for defence were visible, it was hoped that 
no resistance would be offered, and that thus all effu- 
sion of blood would be spared. When, however, some 
of the officers landed on Golden Island, which is oppo- 
site the mouth of the Great Canal, and climbed to the 
top of the Pagoda, in the centre of the island, they dis- 
covered three large encampments on the slope of the 
| hills to the south-west of the city. This showed that 
the Chinese had a large army, ready to defend the 
place, though it was doubted if the troops would fight. 
The British land force consisted of about 7000 men of 
all arms. It had been determined that none of the 
ships-of-war should be engaged in the attack. The 
'Auckland' was therefore the only vessel w T hich fired 



18 CAPTURE OF CHIN-KEANG-FOO. 

into the city when employed in covering the landing of 
the troops. On the evening of the 20th, all prepara- 
tions were completed for the attack, which was to take 
place at daylight the next day. A body of seamen 
and marines, however, under Captain Peter Richards, 
took an active part in the engagement, accompanied 
by Sir William Parker, who forced his way with the 
General through the gates of the city. Lord Saltoun's 
brigade was the first on shore, and, gallantly attacking 
the Chinese encamped outside the walls, soon drove 
them over the hills. General Schoedde's brigade, how- 
ever, was received by a hot fire of guns, jingalls, and 
matchlocks, and in consequence he gave orders for 
immediately escalading the walls. The Tartars fought 
with the most determined bravery, often in hand-to-hand 
combats, and several of the British officers and men 
were wounded. The walls were soon scaled ; and as 
the troops scoured them to the right and left, they fell 
in with Sir Hugh and Sir William, who had forced their 
way in at the gate, while Captains Peter Richards and 
Watson, with the seamen and marines, had scaled the 
walls in another direction. Still in the interior of the 
city the Tartars held every house and street where they 
could hope to make a stand, determined to sell their 
lives dearly ; and often when driven back by superior 
force, they, with perfect deliberation, put an end to their 
own lives, and frequently those of their wives and chil- 
dren. While these events were taking place, another 
of a more naval character was enacting elsewhere. 
The ' Blonde' was anchored off the mouth of the Grand 
Canal, and her boats had been employed in the morning 
in landing the artillery brigade. At ten o'clock they 
were ordered away to carry some of the artillery, with 



CAPTURE OF CHIN-KEANG-FOO. 19 

two howitzers, up the canal, to create a diversion in 
favour of the troops. They were under the command 
of Lieutenant Crouch, of the < Blonde,' who had with 
him Messrs Lambert, Jenkins, and Lyons, midshipmen. 
The barge, cutter, and flat were a little in advance, 
when, coming suddenly in sight of the west gate of the 
city, they were assailed by a heavy fire of jingalls and 
matchlocks from the whole line of the city wall, running 
parallel with the canal. As the wall was nearly forty 
feet high, the gun in the barge could not be elevated 
sufficiently to do service, and the fire of the musketry 
was ineffectual. Lieutenant Crouch and Mr Lyons, 
midshipman, two artillery officers, sixteen seamen, and 
eight artillerymen were wounded. As it would have 
been madness to have remained longer than necessary 
exposed to such a fire, the men leaped from the boats, 
which they abandoned, and took shelter under cover of 
some houses in the suburbs. The crews of the launch 
and pinnace, however, which were some way astern, 
remained under cover of some buildings, and escaped 
without loss. Lieutenant Crouch's party now saw that 
their only chance of escape was to join the latter, 
though to do so they would have to pass across a wide 
space, exposed to the fire from the walls. They suc- 
ceeded, however, in doing this without loss, and in 
getting on board the two boats. The whole party 
returned down the canal to the 'Cornwallis,' where they 
reported what had happened to Captain Richards. 
They were compelled to leave some of the wounded 
behind, and it is satisfactory to report that they were 
kindly treated by the Chinese — a strong proof of the 
advantage of the example set by the British. 

As soon as Captain Richards was informed of the 



20 CAPTURE OF CHIN-KEANG-FOO. 

circumstances which hacl occurred, he landed with 200 
marines at the entrance of the canal, where he was 
joined by 300 men of the 6th Madras Native Infantry, 
under Captain M'Lean. 

This body then made their way through the suburbs, 
to escalade the city walls. At the same time the boats 
of the i Cornwallis,' under Lieutenant Stoddart, with 
those of the ' Blonde,' pulled up the canal, with orders 
to bring off the boats and guns which had been left 
behind, and to endeavour to check the fire of the 
Chinese, while Captain Richards' party were engaged 
in escalading the walls. As soon as Captain Richards 
landed, he was joined by Captain Watson and Mr 
Forster, master of the c Modeste,' with a boat's crew, 
and a small body of seamen of that ship. A quantity 
of rubbish was found near the walls, on which the 
ladders were planted by Captains Peter Richards and 
Watson ; when, in face of a strong body of Tartars, 
who opened a tremendous fire on them, they began the 
hazardous ascent. Captain Richards escaped unhurt ; 
but Captain Watson was wounded, as was Lieutenant 
Baker, of the Madras Artillery ; and a marine, who 
with them was one of the first on the walls, was killed. 
At this juncture, Lieutenant Fitzjames brought up 
some rockets and lodged one in a guard-house, which, 
catching fire, threw the enemy into such consternation 
that they gave way, followed by Captain Richards, 
who, at the head of his men, had jumped down into 
an open space between two gateways. It was just 
then that the gate was blown open by powder-bags ; 
and Sir William Parker, with the third brigade under 
General Bartley, accompanied by Sir Hugh Gongh, 
dashed over its ruins. Several officers and a large 



CAPTURE OF CHIN-KEANG-FOO. 21 

number of men suffered from the effects of the hot sun. 
The naval brigade, having in consequence rested for 
some time in a guard-house, on hearing some firing, 
again sallied out, when they were met by a sudden 
fire from a body of Tartars, drawn up across a street, 
behind a small gateway. Here Lieutenant Fitzjames 
was wounded, as were several of the men. The British, 
however, uttering a loud cheer, attacked the Tartars 
with such fury, that they were soon driven back, and 
put to flight, when numbers fell by their own hands. 
The city was speedily in entire possession of the British, 
when every means was taken to spare life, to prevent 
plunder, and to restore order. We must not omit to 
speak of the gallantry of several naval officers mentioned 
by Sir Hugh Gough. Having heard that the canal 
was fordable, he had sent Major Gough to ascertain 
the fact, accompanied by Captain Loch, R.N., who 
acted as an amateur throughout the campaign, as the 
General's extra aide-de-camp, and Lieutenant Hodgson, 
of the ' Cornwallis,' as also by Lieutenant Heatley. 
Instantly rushing down the bank, the four officers 
plunged into the canal, and swam across, thus proving 
the impracticability of fording it. The city was now 
completely in the power of the British; but in con- 
sequence of the bad drainage, and the number of 
dead bodies left in the houses, the cholera broke out, 
and raged with fearful violence among the troops, even 
though they were removed to an encampment outside 
the walls. The number of Tartars who destroyed 
themselves and families was very great ; while much 
damage was committed by the Chinese plunderers, who 
flocked in from the country, and pillaged in every 
direction ; yet, although the place had been taken by 



22 GALLANTRY OF MR H. 

assault, none of the British troops were allowed to 
plunder or to commit violence of any description. 

These triumphant successes of the British had at 
length brought the Emperor to reason. 

The true state of affairs was represented to him; 
and, on the 20th of August, his Commissioner came on 
board the i Cornwallis,' with authority to treat for peace. 
On the 24th, the visit was returned by Sir Henry 
Pottinger, Sir Hugh Gough, Sir William Parker, and 
upwards of a hundred officers. 

On the 29th, a treaty of peace, for which the British 
had been so long contending, was happily signed on 
board the ' Cornwallis ' by Sir Henry Pottinger, on the 
part of Great Britain, and by Ke-ying, Elepoo, and 
New-Kien, on the part of the Emperor of China. 

While the British fleet remained in the China seas, 
several gallant acts, well worthy of record also, were 
performed by some of the officers of the ships. 

But a very imperfect account has been given of the 
operations in the China seas : but enough has been said 
to show that the Tartar troops were no despicable 
enemies, while the Blue-jackets of Old England had 
ample opportunities of exhibiting their daring courage, 
as well as that perseverance, discipline, and endurance, 
as also, on many occasions, the humanity, for which 
they have ever been conspicuous. 



GALLANTRY OF MR H. F. m'KILLOP, MIDSHIPMAN 
OF H.M.S. ' BELLEISLE.' 
June 1842. 
" At daylight on the 15th of June 1842, when H.M.S. 
4 Belleisle,' Captain Kingcome, was at anchor in one of 



COURAGE OF MR TURNER. 23 

the passages to the entrance of Chusan, in the China 
Sea, when there was a strong tide running, Mr H. F. 
M'Killop, midshipman, was heard to cry, 'A man 
overboard ! — I'll jump after him.' The quartermaster 
said, ' You had better not, sir ; there is a very strong 
tide running.' The reply was, ' I will — the man 
can't swim.' He instantly plunged overboard, and, to 
the satisfaction of all, he was seen to lay hold of the 
man, whom he kept afloat for a considerable period, 
until the boat had been lowered, and sent to pick them 
both up." 

COURAGE OF MR TURNER, MATE OF H.M.S. i SERPENT.' 

August 1842. 

" On the 8th of August 1842, the pinnace belonging 
to H.M.S. ' Serpent ' was caught in a gale of wind, 
in Chimmo Bay, China. At midnight, a heavy squall 
caused a junk she was riding by to drive, forcing the 
pinnace so suddenly ahead that, in her heavy pitching, 
she foundered. In a moment seven men were strug- 
gling for their lives, five of whom were saved by the 
extraordinary exertions of Mr Turner (mate), who, in 
his praiseworthy efforts, was nearly jammed between 
two junks, and was only just hauled up in time, but 
not before he had seen two of his best men hauled up 
before him." 



SEAMAN'S LIFE SAVED BY LIEUTENANT R. C. WHITE. 

January 1844, 

" On the 15th of January 1844, at which time H.M.S. 
6 Pelican ' was lying in the Ningpo River, on the 



24 LIEUTENANTS CALDWELL AND VANSITTART. 

north-eastern coast of China, a seaman, named Joseph 
"White, while working in the main-rigging, missed his 
hold, and fell overboard. Lieutenant Robert C. Whyte, 
senior of that ship, in the most gallant manner instantly 
jumped after him with his clothes on; and although 
the man had sunk twice, and was actually swept by 
the rapidity of the tide under the bow of a large 
Chinese boat, succeeded in saving him. It was the 
greatest chance that Lieutenant Whyte's life was not 
sacrificed in this his gallant attempt. From the well- 
known rapid tide and dangerous undertow in the large 
rivers of China, particularly the Ningpo, it had always 
been supposed that any person falling overboard would 
inevitably have been drowned ; and so strong was this 
opinion on board, which was well known to Lieutenant 
Whyte at the time, that the ship's company had always 
refrained from bathing during the fine seasons. 

" This was the second time in which Lieutenant 
Whyte succeeded in saving this seaman's life, and the 
third man he had saved within a few months." 



LIEUTENANTS CALDWELL AND VANSITTART, R.N., 
HONG-KONG. 

December 1843. 

"On the 13th of December 1843, as the men of 
H.M.S. 'Agincourt' at Hong-Kong were exercising 
aloft, one of them unfortunately lost his hold, and fell 
from the main-yard arm : striking against the rigging, 
he bounded with frightful force from the spare top- 
sail-yard, and fell insensible into the sea. Lieutenants 
Caldwell and Yansittart instantly dashed overboard 



HON. FREDERICK W. WALPOLE SAVED BY R. DEW. 25 

after him. The former officer was, however, from his 
position, unable to make way against the tide, and to 
reach the sinking man. Happily, Mr Vansittart was 
nearer to him, and with almost superhuman exertions 
(being burdened with the whole of his uniform) saved 
the poor fellow's life, supporting him for a consider- 
able time, until a boat could be lowered. This gallant 
action endeared the young officers to every man on 
board." 



THE LIFE OF THE HON. FREDERICK WILLIAM WALPOLE 
SAVED BY MR R. DEW, MATE OF H.M.S. c COLLING- 
WOOD,' AT CALLAO. 

20th August 1844. 



Her Majesty's ship < Collingwood,' Captain R. Smart, 
was lying off the port of Callao, in China, on the 20th 
of August 1844. There were at the time two mates on 
board, Mr Roderick Dew, and the Hon. Frederick Wil- 
liam Walpole. The latter officer had, it appears, in the 
afternoon gone on board a cutter-yacht belonging to a 
gentleman at Callao. As night came on there was a 
fresh breeze blowing, which knocked up a short, chop- 
ping sea. It was also very dark, so that objects at 
any distance from the ship could scarcely be discerned. 
The officer of the first watch on that night was Lieu- 
tenant Richard R. Quin, and the mate of the watch 
was Mr R. Dew. In those seas the currents run very 
rapidly, and where the ship lay there was a very strong 
tide. Just as the quartermasters had gone below to 
call the officers of the middle watch, it being then close 
upon twelve o'clock, the look-out man forward reported 



26 HON. FREDERICK W. WALPOLE SAVED BY R. DEW. 

a boat ahead under sail. The Lieutenant of the watch, 
on going to the gangway, observed a small cutter on 
the starboard bow, which, as well as he could make 
out through the obscurity, appeared to be hove to. He 
judged, from the position of the cutter, that she wished 
to communicate with the ship, but it was impossible to 
see what was taking place on board of her. Shortly 
afterwards a dark object was observed on the water 
on the starboard bow approaching the ship, but it did 
not look like a boat. When it was at the distance of 
seventy or eighty yards, it was hailed by the sentry. 
An answer was returned, but too indistinctly for the 
officers aft to understand what was said. The sentry, 
however, on the forecastle seems to have made out the 
answer, for he instantly sung out the startling cry of 
" A man overboard ! " No boats were down at the 
time ; and in that hot tideway in another minute the 
drowning man would have been swept past the ship, 
and carried in all probability out to sea, where he 
must have perished. Mr Dew was forward : whether 
or not he knew the person who was in peril of his 
life, I cannot say ; probably any human being would 
equally have claimed his aid ; but, without a moment's 
hesitation, he jumped fearlessly overboard, and swam 
to the assistance of the man he supposed was drown- 
ing. He struck out bravely, but could not at first 
succeed in the object for which he was aiming. Mean- 
time the order for lowering a boat was given ; but 
long before she was got into the water, the figure of a 
human being was discerned dose to the ship. The 
sentry again hailed, when a voice, which was recog- 
nised as that of Mr Walpole's, answered with a cry 
for help. Mr Dew cheered him up, by letting him 






HON. FREDERICK W. WALPOLE SAVED BY R. DEW. 27 

know that he was coining to his assistance ; and very 
soon after he got up to him, and found him clinging 
to a small boat, full of water, and, as he was encum- 
bered with a heavy pea-coat, holding on with the 
greatest difficulty. Mr Dew, who was lightly clad, 
and fresh, enabled him to guide the swamped boat up 
to the ship, near which the current was of itself carry- 
ing her. As they passed near the gangway, a coil of 
rope was hove to them, which they getting hold of, 
the boat was hauled alongside, and Mr Walpole and 
his gallant preserver Mr Dew were brought safely 
upon deck. Mr Walpole then gave an account of 
the accident which had befallen him. He had shoved 
off from the cutter in her dingy, which was very soon 
swamped, and as the tide would not allow him to re- 
gain her, he was being carried rapidly to destruction, 
and would, he gratefully asserted, have inevitably 
perished, had it not been for the heroic conduct of 
Mr Dew, who, under Providence, was thus the means 
of preserving his life. 



CAPTURE OF THE CARTHAGENIAN FLEET. 



LIEUTENANT DE COURCY. 

February 1841. 

Among the numerous states which have arisen from 
the fragments of the Spanish empire in South America, 
is that of Carthagena on the northern coast, and on 
the eastern shore at the entrance of the Gulf of Darien. 
The inhabitants, like those of all the other states of 
Spanish origin on that continent, have continually 
been quarrelling among each other, and one party has 
always been found ready to set up a Dictator, Presi- 
dent, or Governor, in opposition to the man who 
happens to be in power. It appears that the British 
brig ' Jane and Sarah,' in company with a sloop called 
< Little William,' were lying at Sapote, a harbour of 
Carthagena, when, on the 6th of February 1841, some 
Carthagenian ships-of-war, under the orders of General 
Carmona, attacked the two vessels and plundered them, 
to a large amount, of goods and specie. A Colonel 
Gregg, and other passengers, together with their crews, 
were taken on shore and imprisoned. We are not 
aware of what crime Colonel Gregg and the other 
persons were accused. They found means, however, 
to communicate their condition to the British Consul 
resident at Carthagena, who immediately interested 
himself on their behalf, and applied to the Govern- 
ment for their release. His intercession was perfectly 



CAPTURE OF THE CARTHAGENIAN FLEET. 29 

unsuccessful. As soon therefore as he was able, he 
sent off a despatch to Lieutenant De Courcy, com- 
manding H.M.'s brig l Charybdis,' stationed on the 
coast to protect British interests, and which was for- 
tunately then in the neighbourhood. Immediately on 
receiving the communication, Lieutenant De Courcy 
came off the port of Carthagena, and despatched a 
boat, with an officer, bearing a letter to the Commodore 
of the squadron, then at anchor inside, demanding the 
release of Colonel Gregg and the other British subjects. 
The Carthagenian squadron consisted of a corvette, 
a brig, and three schooners of war. When the officer 
got on board the corvette, he found the Commodore, 
who treated him with great insolence, observing, that 
as the letter was not written in Spanish, he could not 
understand it, and therefore could not receive it, treat- 
ing the threatened interference with the greatest con- 
tempt. The unfortunate Colonel Gregg, it appears, 
was shot immediately after the application for his 
release had been made; so that probably the Com- 
modore was acting under the orders of the Government, 
who were little aware of the punishment they were about 
to draw down on the head of the commander of their 
ships. As soon as the British officer had returned on 
board the ' Charybdis,' and reported these circum- 
stances, Lieutenant De Courcy determined to compel 
attention to his communications. The ' Charybdis ' was 
rated as a six-gun brig, but she carried only one long 
gun amidships and two carronades, and her full com- 
plement of officers and men was but fifty-five. Nothing 
daunted, however, he boldly entered the port ; and was 
passing up to an anchorage, when, without any pro- 
vocation, he was fired into by the corvette — the Com- 



30 CAPTUKE OF THE CARTHAGENIAN FLEET. 

modore's vessel, and the forestay of the ' Charybdis ' 
was shot away. This was an insult not for an instant 
to be borne, and, in spite of the small size of his vessel, 
and the apparently overwhelming force opposed to him, 
he immediately took up a position, and opened his fire 
on the corvette. His officers and crew enthusiastically 
supported him, and working their guns with a will, so ra- 
pidly was their fire delivered, and so well was it directed, 
that in a short time the corvette hauled down her 
colours and surrendered, when, on taking possession of 
her, it was found that the Commodore and twenty-five 
of his men had been killed. In the meantime, a brig- 
of-war had been coming down to the assistance of the 
corvette, followed by three schooners ; and scarcely had 
the first been disposed of, when she came into action. 
Unexhausted by their exertions, the gallant crew of the 
c Charybdis ' fought their guns as before, and in five 
minutes after they had been brought to bear on the 
brig, she sank ; and in a short time the schooners, after 
exchanging a few shots, also surrendered. Thus, in 
the course of less than an hour, the whole of the Car- 
thagenian squadron was captured and destroyed ; the 
victor remaining at anchor in their port, with his prizes, 
to await the decision of the Admiral on the station as 
to their disposal. Although, probably, the vessels of 
the enemy were neither well found nor well manned, 
still, their force was so immensely superior to that of 
the British brig, that we must allow, that not a more 
spirited or gallant action has been performed since her 
Majesty came to the throne, than that of Lieutenant De 
Courey's capture of the Carthagenian fleet. He, in 
consequence, at once received his promotion to the rank 
of Commander. 



SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY IN BORNEO AND 
THE EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO. 



SKETCH OF RAJAH BROOKE. 

Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, went out as 
cadet to India, where he distinguished himself in the 
Burmese war, and being wounded there, he returned 
home. A warm admirer of Sir Stamford Raffles, by 
whose enlightened efforts the flourishing city of Sin- 
gapore was established, and British commerce much 
increased in the Eastern Archipelago, he took a voyage 
there to form a personal acquaintance with those inter- 
esting islands. He found the people groaning under 
oppression, piracy unchecked, and commerce unde- 
veloped. He here secretly resolved to devote his life 
to remedying these evils. On his return home he pur- 
chased a yacht, the ' Royalist,' of 142 tons, and with 
care and kindness, for three years, he trained a crew 
zealously ready to follow his fortunes. 

Having been appointed Governor of Sarawak, 24th 
September 1841, he set himself actively to work to re- 
form abuses, to improve the cultivation of the country, 
and to secure peace and happiness to the people. Having 
arranged the internal affairs of his government, he went 
back to Singapore, for the purpose of asking the aid of 
some ship-of-war to put down piracy. The ' Dido,' 
the Honourable Captain Keppel, was accordingly sent 



32 ATTACK ON SAREBUS PIRATES. 

to assist him in carrying out his object ; and many gal- 
lant acts were performed by that officer and ship's com- 
pany, one of which we have alone space to recount. 



ATTACK ON SAREBUS PIRATES BY BOATS OF 
H.M.S. 'DIDO.' 

The ' Dido,' after leaving Sarawak, proceeded to the 
island of Burong, which was appointed as the place of 
rendezvous. The force selected for the expedition 
consisted of the 'Dido's' pinnace, two cutters, and a 
gig, with Rajah Brooke's boat, the ' Jolly Bachelor,' 
carrying a long six-pounder brass gun, and thirty of the 
6 Dido's ' men. Several chiefs sent their fleets, so that 
the native force was considerable, and it caused no little 
trouble to keep them in order. 

On the 11th, as they passed rapidly up the stream, 
the beating of gongs and the loud yelling warned them 
that they were approaching their enemies. A sudden 
turn in the river brought them in front of a steep hill, 
which rose from the bank. As they hove in sight, 
several hundred savages rose up, and gave one of their 
war-yells. " It was the first," says Captain Keppel, 
" I ever heard. No report from musketry or ordnance 
could ever make a man's heart feel so small as mine did 
at that horrid yell. I had no time to think, but took 
a shot at them with my double-barrel as they rushed 
down the steep, while we were hurried past." As the 
large boat came up, she gave them a dose from her 
heavy gun. A barrier of stakes was now encountered, 
but the gig pushed through, and found herself in the 
presence of three formidable-looking forts, which imme- 



ATTACK ON SAREBUS PIRATES. 33 

diately opened a heavy fire on her. Luckily their guns 
were elevated for the range of the barrier, a few grape- 
shot only splashing the water round her. The boat 
was drifting fast towards the enemy. The banks of 
the river were covered with warriors, who yelled and 
rushed down to secure her. With some difficulty the 
long gig was got round, and Rajah Brooke steering, 
she was paddled up against the stream. During this 
time Captain Keppel and his coxswain kept up a fire 
on the embrasures, to prevent the enemy reloading be- 
fore the pinnace could bring her twelve-pound carronade 
to bear. Unfortunately -she fell athwart the barrier, 
and had three men wounded while thus placed. With 
the aid, however, of some of the native auxiliaries, the 
ratan-lashings which secured the heads of the stakes 
were cut, and the first cutter got through. The other 
boats then followed, and kept up a destructive fire on 
the fort. Mr D'Aeth, who was the first to land, jumped 
on shore with his crew at the foot of the hill, on the top 
of which the nearest fort stood, and at once rushed for 
the summit. This mode of warfare — this dashing at 
once in the very face of their fort — was so novel and 
incomprehensible to the enemy that they fled panic- 
struck into the jungle, and the leading men of the 
British could scarcely get a snap shot at them. That 
evening the country was illuminated for miles by the 
burning of the capital, Paddi, and the adjacent villages. 
The guns in the forts were also taken and the stock- 
ades burnt. The banks of the river were here so 
narrow, that it was necessary to keep vigilantly on the 
alert, as a spear even could easily be thrown across, 
though for the greater part of the night the burning 
houses made it light as day. In the evening, Drs 

c 



34 ATTACK ON SAREBUS PIRATES. 

Simpson and Treacher amputated the arm of the cap- 
tain of the forecastle on board the ' Dido.' In the 
morning, a fleet of prahus came sweeping towards them, 
and were only discovered to be friends just in time to 
save them from a deadly discharge from the six- 
pounder. 

In the evening, a party under Lieutenant Horton, 
who was accompanied by Rajah Brooke, was sent up 
the left stream. Captain Keppel was at supper on 
board the 'Jolly Bachelor' when the sound of the 
pinnace's twelve-pounder carronade broke through the 
stillness of the night. This was responded to by one 
of those simultaneous war-yells, apparently from every 
part of the country. Captain Keppel, on this jumping 
into his gig, pulled off to the aid of his friends. From 
the winding of the stream, the yells appeared to come 
from every direction — sometimes ahead, sometimes 
astern. Proceeding thus for nearly two hours, a sud- 
den and quick discharge of musketry warned him that 
he was approaching the scene of action. 

He kept his rifle ready for use on his knee ; and to 
give an idea that he was bringing up a strong rein- 
forcement, he ordered the bugler he had with him to< 
strike up " Rory O'More." This was immediately 
responded to by three British cheers, followed, how- 
ever, by a death-like silence, which made him suppose 
that the enemy were between him and his friends. 

Seeing some human forms before him, he hailed, and 
receiving no answer, fired, supposing them to be Dyaks, 
when, to his horror, Lieutenant Horton exclaimed, 
" We are here, sir." Providentially no one was hurt. 
The sound of the current had prevented his hail being 
heard. The party had taken up a very clever position 






ATTACK ON SAREBUS PIRATES. 35 

on the top of a bank from which the jungle had been 
cleared for about thirty yards, and which rose per- 
pendicularly from a little bay just big enough to hold 
the boats. Here Lieutenant Gunnel was posted, with 
seven royal marines as a rear-guard. This was an 
important position, and one of danger, as the jungle 
itself was alive with the enemy ; and although spears 
were hurled from it continually during the night, no 
shot was thrown away unless the figure of a pirate 
could be distinctly seen. The rain fell heavily, the 
men wore their greatcoats to keep their pieces dry. 
Often during the long night a musket was raised to 
the shoulder, and lowered as the enemy flitted by. 
Those in the boats below stood facing the opposite 
bank of the river, with their arms in their hands. It 
appears that the enemy had come down in great force 
to attack the boats from that side ; and as the river 
was there very shallow, and the bottom hard, they 
could, by wading not more than knee-deep, have ap- 
proached to within five or six yards of them ; — but in 
the first attack they had lost a good many men, and it 
is supposed that their repeated advances during the 
night were more to recover their dead and wounded, 
than to make any attack on the compact little force of 
British, whose deadly aim and rapid firing had told 
with such effect, and who certainly were, one and all, 
prepared to sell their lives as dearly as possible. For 
some object they had begun felling some large trees, 
and their torches showing their position, Mr Partridge 
kept up a hot fire on them from the pinnace, and a 
signal rocket fired among them made them take to 
flight. Two natives and one marine of the British 
party were wounded; and the latter poor fellow, a 



36 ATTACK ON SAKEBUS TIRATES. 

gallant young officer named Jenkins, already distin- 
guished in the Chinese war, volunteered to convey in 
the second gig, with four boys only, down to the ' Jolly 
Bachelor.' He performed his duty, and was again up 
with the party before daylight. At dawn the pirates 
began assembling in some force; but as the boats 
advanced up the river towards a spot where they had 
left their wives and children, they sent in a flag of 
truce. Several chiefs soon appeared, and the result of 
the conference was, that they undertook to abandon 
piracy if their lives were spared. This was agreed to, 
and they have strictly adhered to their promises. 

When Mr Brooke first went to Borneo, he found the 
country desolated by internal wars, the strong remorse- 
lessly preying on the weak in every direction; and, 
though possessing a soil abounding in the most valuable 
natural productions, and capable of yielding, under 
cultivation, an almost unlimited supply of the fruits of 
the earth, yet without any domestic or foreign com- 
merce. Within a few years, by his enlightened exer- 
tions, he, in a great degree, put a stop to piracy, by 
aid of the naval force placed at his disposal ; he in- 
duced the native tribes to live at peace with each other, 
and to attend to agriculture ; and he opened up an in- 
creasing commercial intercourse through all parts of 
the country. There breathes not a truer patriot or a 
more honest single-minded man than Sir James Brooke, 
Rajah of Sarawak. 






WARFARE ON THE RIVERS LA PLATA 
AND PARANA. 



BATTLE OF THE PARANA. 

30th November 1845. 

Juan da Rosas having made himself master of La 
Plata, and taken possession of Buenos Ay res, closed 
the Rio de La Plata against all strangers. This was 
contrary to a treaty with the English and French ; 
and accordingly an English and French squadron were 
despatched to open up the channel of commerce, the 
lighter vessels forming an expedition to force the 
Parana. 

Rear-Admiral Inglefield was Commander-in-Chief, 
with his flag on board the 'Yernon.' The French 
squadron was commanded by Admiral Laine. The 
command of the English force was given to Captain 
Charles Hotham, of H.M.'s steam-frigate ' G orgon ; ' 
and he had under him, ' Firebrand,' steam-frigate, 
Captain J. Hope ; 6 Philomel,' surveying-brig, Com- 
mander B. J. Sullivan ; < Comus,' eighteen guns, Act- 
ing-Commander E. A. Inglefield ; 'Dolphin,' brigantine, 
Lieutenant R. Levinge ; ' Fanny,' tender, Lieutenant 
A. C. Key. 

On the 18th, the expedition arrived within three miles 
of the very strong defences General Rosas had caused 
to be thrown up on the right bank of the Parana on 



38 BATTLE OF THE PARANA. 

Punta Obligada, to oppose their progress. This spot 
was about thirty miles below the river San Nicholas, 
and 100 from the mouth of the river. 

At daylight the following morning, the two captains 
reconnoitred the position of the enemy, and soon dis- 
covered that great military skill had been evinced, 
both in the ground chosen, and the plan of defence 
pursued. 

The morning of the 20th broke dark and foggy, but 
about eight a.m. the weather cleared, and a southerly 
breeze sprang up. At a quarter to nine the southern 
division weighed, and with a light breeze stood to- 
wards the batteries, followed shortly afterwards by the 
6 San Martin' and ' Comus.' The ' Dolphin' and ' Pan- 
dour' had previously anchored on the north shore. 
Two of the ' Dolphin's' crew — R. Rowe, gunner's mate, 
and W. Ross, caulker's mate — though severely wounded, 
refused to leave their quarters till the day was won. 

At about ten minutes before ten the batteries com- 
menced the action by opening a heavy fire on the 
' Philomel' and the southern division, which Commander 
Sullivan speedily returned with interest. On this oc- 
casion, the gallant Lieutenant Doyle, of the 'Philomel,' 
had his arm shot away, and for some time his life was 
despaired of; but, notwithstanding the agony of his 
wound, he still showed his interest in the progress of 
the action. On this the 'Dolphin' weighed, to sup- 
port the ships in action ; but as some of her sails 
were shot away before she could reach her appointed 
station, the current drove her astern, and compelled 
her to anchor. Lieutenant Levinge, however, contrived 
to place her in a position where her guns did good 
execution ; she, however, was unavoidably exposed all 



■ 



BATTLE OF THE PARANA. 39 

the time to a tremendous shower of shot, shell, grape, 
and rockets, which came flying over her. During it 
several of her people were wounded ; and Mr Gr. 
Andrews, clerk in charge, was unhappily killed, while 
assisting the surgeon in his duties to the wounded. 

The remaining ships of the north division were 
gallantly led into action by the brave Captain Trehou- 
art, whose brig succeeded in reaching her appointed 
station. A terrific cannonade was now taking place, 
increasing as the ships, one after the other, got into 
action. It had, however, unfortunately the effect of 
making the wind fall light; and, in consequence, the 
ships of the northern division having to contend with 
a current running three miles an hour, were compelled 
to anchor two cables short of the stations assigned to 
them. About this time the Spaniards cast loose the 
fire-vessels, chained two and two together, and as they 
came drifting down rapidly towards the squadron, the 
steamers kept moving about to tow them clear, should 
they drift against any of the ships. Fortunately they 
did no harm ; but till they had drifted past, the steamers 
could neither anchor nor open their fire. At about 
ten minutes to eleven the action became general ; and 
the effect of the admirable gunnery practice, both of 
the English and French crews, was soon evident by the 
unsteadiness with which the enemy continued their fire. 
No men could, however, have fought more bravely than 
they did. No sooner had the fire from the British ships 
swept one set of men from their guns, than they were 
replaced by others, compelled, if not determined of their 
own accord, to fight to the last. At length the fire 
from the batteries began to slacken, some of the guns 
being dismounted, and the gunners driven from the 



40 BATTLE OF THE PARANA. 

others ; and at four p.m., an occasional shot only being 
fired, Captain Hotham made the signal for the boats of 
the squadron, manned and armed, to rendezvous along- 
side the 'Gorgon' and 'Firebrand,' sending at the 
same time to the French commander, to propose that 
the remaining part of their plan, which was, that they 
should land and storm the batteries, should be carried 
into immediate execution. Captain Hotham landed 
with 180 blue-jackets and 145 marines, when, giving 
three hearty British cheers, they formed on the beach 
preparatory to making a rush up the hill. Commander 
Sullivan, who had under him the skirmishing party and 
light company of seamen, led the way up the hill ; the 
rest quickly followed, and, as they reached the crest, 
they were received by a smart fire of musketry. The 
enemy were, however, quickly driven back before the 
bayonets of the marines, under the command of Captain 
F. Hurdle, R.M. ; while, at the same time, the light 
company of seamen, under Lieutenant A. C. Key, made 
a dash at the wood, which it was most important to 
possess, and carrying it in a few minutes, took posses- 
sion of it. Shortly after this, the French brigade 
landed ; and the enemy taking to flight in all directions, 
little more remained to be done, beyond spiking the 
guns and destroying the batteries. Captain Hope, 
after cutting the chain across the river, landed with 
Captain Hotham, and acted as his aide-de-camp 
throughout the day. 

In consequence of this action, Captain C. Hotham 
was made a Commander of the Order of the Bath ; 
Commander B. J. Sullivan was posted; and Lieutenants 
Inglefield, Levinge, Doyle, and Key were made Com- 
manders : R. Rowe, gunner's mate, was made a gunner, 



THE BATTERIES OF SAN LORENZO. 41 

and W: Ross, caulker's mate, was made a warrant- 
officer ; both of whom, though severely wounded, had 
refused to quit their quarters till the battle was over. 

Two ships-of-war being left to prevent the enemy 
offering any obstruction to the navigation of the Parana, 
the squadron proceeded to convoy a fleet of merchant- 
men up the river. 

Captain Hope, in a very gallant way, pursued and 
destroyed the schooner 'Chacabuco,' belonging to the 
enemy. 



ENGAGE3IENTS WITH THE BATTERIES OF SAN LORENZO. 

After the squadron and convoy had passed up, which 
they did without the loss of a single vessel or man, 
Rosas set to work to fortify the cliffs of San Lorenzo. 
This he did in the most effectual way in his power, by 
throwing up large works of earth, and in collecting 
guns from every direction, and also in training his men 
to the use of them. He had plenty of time to effect 
these objects, as the squadron was detained some time 
at Corrientes, while the merchantmen were disposing of 
their cargoes, and collecting fresh ones to take back 
in return. May 1846, indeed, had arrived, before the 
different vessels of the convoy had settled all their 
affairs, and to the number of 110, were ready to de- 
scend the river. 

In the meantime a constant communication had been 
kept up with the Admiral at Monte Video by the men- 
of-war, which had on each occasion to run the gauntlet 
of the batteries, and in some instances with severe loss : 
their commanders at the same time affording a noble 



42 ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE 

display of gallantry in obeying the orders they had 
received. Commander Sullivan, among others, made 
himself very conspicuous by the accurate knowledge he 
possessed of the river, which enabled him to pilot the 
ships up without risk. 

The 'Philomel' having been despatched from Cor- 
rientes to Monte Yideo, as she approached the bat- 
teries of San Lorenzo, Commander Sullivan made 
preparations to pass them. Knowing that he could 
pass under the cliffs, he judged it best to hug them as 
closely as possible, lest any guns should already be 
mounted. Having made a barricade of hammocks 
and bags for the helmsman, he sent all hands below to 
be out of harm's way ; he himself only, and his first 
lieutenant, remaining on deck to con the brig. Slowly 
and silently the little vessel drew near the point of 
danger. A light and favourable air filled her sails, 
and almost grazing the perpendicular cliff, she glided 
slowly by. When the brig was close under the first 
battery, the enemy opened their fire at her ; but so near 
was she to the cliffs, that they could not sufficiently de- 
press their guns to touch her decks : their lowest shot 
going through the boom-mainsail, four or five feet 
above the hammock-netting. They continued their 
ineffectual fire till the gallant little ' Philomel' was quite 
clear and out of range. 

H.M.'s steamer ' Lizard,' H. M. Tylden, Lieutenant 
commanding, which was sent up the Parana on the 
21st of April, was not so fortunate in escaping with- 
out damage. When about six miles from San 
Lorenzo, Lieutenant Tylden observed that large bat- 
teries had been erected on a commanding point, and 
that the adjacent coast was lined with artillery and 



BATTEEIES OF SAN LORENZO. 43 

field-pieces. As the 'Lizard' approached the batteries, 
Lieutenant Tylden ordered three ensigns to be hoisted, 
as a signal to the enemy that he intended to fight as 
long as the ship floated. At half-past eleven a.m., the 
northern batteries opened a heavy fire; and, on approach- 
ing nearer, the other batteries and artillery commenced 
a quick and well-directed fire also, which was returned 
by the ' Lizard' with rockets and her forecastle gun, 
until the rocket-stand was shot away, and the gun 
could no longer be elevated sufficiently to bear on the 
enemy. When the gallant commander found that the 
heavy shot, grape, and musketry were riddling his 
vessel from stem to stern, he ordered the officers and 
men to go below, with the exception of those absolutely 
required on deck, in the hopes that thay might thus 
escape injury. Scarcely, however, had they gone be- 
low, when two shot entered the gun-room, one of which 
killed Mr Barnes, clerk in charge, and the other Mr 
Webb, master's assistant. Two seamen also were killed; 
and Mr Miller, assistant-surgeon, and three men were 
wounded. As the wind and current were against her, 
and there was a great deal of water in the hold, she 
made but slow progress, and it was not till twenty-five 
minutes past one p.m. that she got out of fire. She 
received 7 shot between wind and water, besides 9 
cannon, 14 grape, and 41 musket-balls, in the hull and 
bulwarks, and 7 cannon and grape in the funnel and 
steam-pipe ; while her boats, mainmast, and rigging 
were shot through and through by cannon. 

H.M.'s steam-sloop ' Alecto,' Commander F. W. 
Austen, had previously, early in April, gone up, tow- 
ing three heavily-laden schooners against a current of 
three knots and a head- wind. On approaching a place 



44 THE BATTERIES OF SAN LORENZO. 

called Tonelero, a number of workmen were seen 
throwing up batteries, clearly for the purpose of annoy- 
ing the convoy on their way down. Opening her fire 
on them, she soon put the men to flight. She came up 
to the batteries on the morning of the 6th, with a 
strong wind and current against her, and the heavy 
schooners in tow. She had been accompanied all the 
way by a squadron of cavalry, who kept pace with her 
in an easy walk, halting every now and then. At two 
her crew went to quarters ; and at forty minutes past 
two, having before fired a few shot, her three guns and 
rockets were got into full play. This was answered by 
the lower guns on the batteries with round-shot, until 
she reached the narrowest part, when the enemy opened 
with round-shot and grape together. Their guns were 
raking her at this time from head to stern in such a 
way that none of her guns could be brought to bear in 
return. In this state she remained for twenty minutes, 
scarcely going ahead, and receiving the fire of seven 
eighteen-pounders, several of which were pointed down 
on her decks. During this time she fired away in 
return at the enemy, who appeared abreast of her, 
every round of grape and canister on board, and was 
then reduced to round-shot. For a few minutes also 
she exchanged with them a sharp fire of musketry. She 
then went gradually ahead, and as the river widened, 
and the current decreased in strength, she drew out of 
shot, having been an hour and fifteen minutes under 
fire. Captain Austen, her commander, was the only 
person hurt, a spent grape-shot having struck him a 
severe blow on the thigh. Commander Mackinnon, 
then a lieutenant, who has written a most amusing ac- 
count of the affair, says, " That in going into action the 



GALLANT EXPLOIT OF LIEUTENANT MACKINNON. 45 

men appeared to take it as a matter of course ; but as 
the plot thickened, and they warmed at the work, they 
tossed the long guns about like playthings, and indeed 
managed them in an admirable manner." This he at- 
tributes to the system taught on board the ' Excellent. ' 
The crews of the Monte Yidean schooners were in a 
dreadful fright all the time, expecting to be sent to the 
bottom. On sounding the well on board the ' Alecto,' 
a considerable quantity of water was found in the hold. 
When search was made, a shot-hole was discovered 
forward, between wind and water. This was speedily 
plugged. Just as she came in sight of the convoy, 
after her long and tedious voyage, she got on shore, 
and remained for some days before she was again 
floated off. 



GALLANT EXPLOIT OF LIEUTENANT MACKINNON 
WITH HIS ROCKET-BATTERY AGAINST THE FORTS 
OF SAN LORENZO. 

Santa Fe is situated on the east bank of the river. It 
is a place of some size, built partly at the foot and 
partly on the side of a lofty hill, surrounded by corrales, 
where thousands of cattle are slaughtered, their hides 
and their tallow being shipped from the port, while 
vast flocks of vultures, carrion-crows, and other birds 
of prey, hover over them to consume the refuse beef 
which there are not human mouths sufficient to eat. 
As may be supposed, it is far from an agreeable place. 
The greater part of the English and French men-of- 
war were lying at Baxadar de Santa Fe, which was 
the appointed rendezvous of the merchantmen. Here 



46 GALLANT EXPLOIT OF LIEUTENANT MACKINNON 

the larger number, having effected their object, collected 
towards the middle of May. The difficulty was now 
to get the convoy safely back past the batteries of San 
Lorenzo. Sir Charles Hotham had gone up to settle 
some diplomatic affairs with the Government of Cor- 
rientes, and on the 16th of May he returned in the 
'Alecto.' 

A plan had occurred to Lieutenant Mackinnon, of 
that ship, by which the passage of the convoy might 
be facilitated ; and having proposed it to Sir Charles 
Hotham, he, after a short consideration of its possi- 
bility, expressed his willingness to have it carried out, 
should everything be as supposed. 

Lieutenant Mackinnon stated, "That opposite to 
the heavy part of the batteries of San Lorenzo he had 
observed an island covered with long reeds, grass, and 
small trees, but completely commanded by the guns of 
the battery. He proposed, the night before the convoy 
was to fight their way down, to take on shore a certain 
number of Congreve rockets, to land them at the back 
of the island, and to place them in readiness for use 
when the time of action should arrive, — this could be 
effected in a few minutes ; then to dig by the side of 
each rocket a hole large enough to contain the men 
working them, and to throw the earth up as a kind of 
barricade before it ; at the signal given by the Com- 
mander-in-Chief, when all the enemy's batteries were 
fully manned, waiting for the convoy, to commence a 
tremendous fire, which, being totally unexpected by the 
enemy, would be proportionably effective and destruc- 
tive. The chances were that they would return this fire, 
which the prepared holes would render harmless ; and 
if the rocket-stands or tubes were hit — a very difficult 



AGAINST THE FORTS OF SAN LORENZO. 47 

object — poles and instruments would be at hand to 
repair them immediately. Besides, when the vessels 
were passing, the chances were that, from the heights 
of the cliffs, the rockets would strike the enemy over 
the mast-heads of the ships, thus causing a double- 
banked fire of great force." 

Sir Charles Hotham having consulted Captain Hope 
and Captain Trehouart, who highly approved of the 
plan, provided the ground when reconnoitred was found 
as suitable as expected, the execution of it was en- 
trusted to Lieutenant Mackinnon, of the ' Alecto,' with 
Lieutenant Barnard, of the ' Firebrand,' as his second. 
For several days the preparations were going on ; and 
on the 25th of May, all being ready, the convoy and 
men-of-war, with the exception of the British steamer, 
dropped down the river, and anchored about five miles 
above the batteries of San Lorenzo. 

At length, on the night of the 1st of June, Sir 
Charles Hotham and the French captain, with some 
other officers, reconnoitred the locality. Besides the 
island we have spoken of, there were several others of 
nearly the same size, and at the same distance from the 
western shore ; to the eastward of them again was an 
immense archipelago of low swampy islands, covered 
with brushwood, extending in that direction six or 
eight miles between them and the main shore of Entre 
Rios. There was just sufficient light for the recon- 
noitring party to see their way as they steered through 
the intricate passages to the east of the large islands. 
"With muffled oars and in dead silence they pulled on 
till they reached the island they wished to examine ; 
and as they shoved the boat's bow into the mud, a loud 
rustling was heard in the brushwood, and a wild beast 



48 GALLANT EXPLOIT OF LIEUTENANT MACKINNON 

of some sort, which they took for a tiger, rushed towards 
them. They dared not fire, of course; and without 
allowing a moment's hesitation to interfere with the 
service they were upon, proceeded to land according to 
seniority. As the first officers leaped on shore, sword 
in hand, the supposed tiger, with a loud snort, jumped 
into the river, proving to be a harmless carpincho, 
or water-hog, peculiar to the large rivers of South 
America. 

They now advanced cautiously, among the reeds and 
brushwood, across the island, when, to their great 
satisfaction, they found that the river itself had per- 
formed the very work required, by throwing up, when 
swelled by the rains, an embankment many feet high 
along the entire length of the island, so as completely 
to screen them from the enemy's batteries — a work, 
indeed, which many hundred men could not so well 
have executed in a week ; behind this the land rising, 
there was consequently a large natural trench ; here 
the rockets might be placed in comparative safety; the 
only difficulty would be to get the men into the trench, 
and to retire safely after the ammunition was expended, 
and to avoid any suspicion on the enemy's part of the 
proximity of such a foe. They then returned to the 
ship, and completed the necessary preparations. The 
next night the rocket party, in the ' Alecto's ' paddle- 
box boat, took their departure under the command of 
Lieutenant Mackinnon. He was accompanied by his 
second in command, Lieutenant Barnard, of the Marine 
Artillery, by Mr Hamm, the boatswain of the ' Alecto,' 
and Mr Baker, the pilot, with twelve artillerymen and 
eleven seamen. Silent as the grave, they pulled behind 
the islands, and without accident reached the appointed 



AGAINST THE FORTS OF SAN LORENZO. 49 

spot. They first set to work to get the rocket-stands and 
rockets up to the embankment; and very fatiguing work 
it was to the men, for they had to carry them through a 
swamp, into which they sank up to their knees, and 
then a considerable distance over rough and uneven 
ground, among thick reeds and brushwood. A glass 
of grog, with some pork and biscuits, set them to rights 
again ; and without delay they planted the rocket- 
stands, pointing them so that the rockets might just 
clear the top of the batteries. Fortunately, a few 
yards beyond the little bay, where the boat had been 
lying all night, a large willow-tree had fallen into the 
river, of her exact length, and beyond that was a point 
of land running out likewise ; between these she was 
hauled in. Branches of willow were stuck in all round 
and inside the boat, which most effectually concealed 
her ; so much so, that when Lieutenant Baker arrived 
the next night at the spot, he was observed standing up 
in the stern-sheets of the gig, looking wistfully towards 
the sandy beach, and seeing nothing of the boat, though 
the starboard bow-oar of the gig splashed the water 
in Lieutenant Mackinnon's face. The latter officer 
whistled ; upon which Lieutenant Baker pulled in, and 
began conversing. All this time Lieutenant Mackinnon 
was standing with one leg on the gunnel of the boat 
and the other on land, the boat's gunnel being flush 
with it ; it appeared, therefore, as if he was partly 
standing on a tree in the water, and so completely 
deceived Lieutenant Baker, that he exclaimed, " But 
where on earth have you put the boat to ? " The low 
laugh from the men who were hid under a tarpaulin 
revealed where she was. When they were moving 
about in daylight, they were obliged to crouch down 

D 



50 GALLANT EXPLOIT OF LIEUTENANT MACKINNON 

like a herd of kangaroos, creeping behind the bushes 
and among the long grass, so as not to be seen by the 
enemy, to whom the whole island was then exposed to 
view. Had the Spaniards found out that they were 
there, of course they would have sent boats across to 
attack them, and would have fired on them from the 
forts ; and though no doubt the blue-jackets would 
have made a good fight of it with their rockets, the 
plan for preserving the fleet must have failed entirely. 
The first day all hands were roused from their sleep in 
the boat, and mustered at two p.m. ; their arms being 
examined, they were ordered to remain at the boat in 
readiness for any emergency, while the officers and 
two artillerymen relieved the look-out at the battery. 
Twenty-eight embrasures, with heavy guns in them, 
were counted in the enemy's forts ; and so close were 
the party, that, with pocket-telescopes, they could 
clearly distinguish the faces of the people, and observed 
General Moncellia, the brother-in-law of Rosas, drive 
up in his carriage with four horses, and, dismounting, 
inspect the troops and guns. Little did he suspect the 
foe he had near him. Having remained some time, the 
officers crawled back to the boats to take some rest ; 
but they were far too anxious to sleep 4ong ; and the 
next night was passed, as before, in paying constant 
visits to the rocket-battery. Once they were nearly 
discovered, from one of the men incautiously exposing 
himself. As Lieutenant Mackinnon was watching the 
battery, he observed the sentry suddenly stop and eye 
the spot narrowly. " Hold fast," he whispered to the 
man ; " don't move, as you value your life." The man 
obeyed, and to the Lieutenant's infinite relief, he at 
last saw the sentry move on. 



AGAINST THE FORTS OF SAN LORENZO. 51 

Daybreak of the 4th came at length ; the wind blew 
fair down the stream, aDd every one was on the tiptoe 
of expectation, listening for the report of the two guns, 
the preconcerted signal of the fleet being about to sail. 
It was a time of the greatest anxiety, for any moment, 
if discovered, the twenty-eight pieces of ordnance might 
have commenced playing on them, and blown them all 
to atoms ; but fortunately, the eyes of the enemy were 
turned up the stream, towards the point from whence 
the fleet was expected to appear. Slowly the hours 
seemed to pass, till at length, at nine a.m., the welcome 
sound of the two guns came booming along the water, 
and immediately the men proceeded from the boat to 
the rocket-stands, creeping along like a band of North 
American Indians on a war expedition to surprise a 
sleeping foe. A long pole, with the British flag made 
fast to it, had been prepared, on the elevation of 
which the first discharge of rockets was to take place. 
The squadron of men-of-war and merchantmen now 
approached, the 'Gorgon,' 'Fulton,' and c Alecto' 
leading. Majestically they glided on till they came 
within range of the batteries, at which they commenced 
firing their shells with admirable precision. The long 
and anxious moment at length arrived for the discharge 
of the rockets. Lieutenant Mackinnon waved his cap 
aloft ; at this signal Lieutenant Bernard planted the 
British flag under the nose of the enemy, and, taking 
off his cap, made them a low bow : up went a flight of 
rockets ; two of them flew into the very centre of the 
most crowded part of the batteries, completely clearing 
them of their defenders, two went over their heads, and 
two stuck in the cliffs beneath them. The elevation of 
the four stands, which were wrongly pointed, being 



52 GALLANT EXPLOIT OF LIEUTENANT MACKINNON 

rectified, they were once more charged ; and as soon as 
the enemy had returned to their guns, and were looking 
along the sights to take aim at the steamers, Lieutenant 
Mackinnon, jumping up on the embankment, thought- 
less of how he was exposing himself, sung out, ' Pepper, 
lads! pepper, lads! pepper, pepper, pepper!' and pep- 
per away the men did with a vengeance. The crash 
was tremendous. The enemy with dismay deserted their 
guns ; and terrific must have been the slaughter among 
them, for in one minute, forty rockets, admirably 
directed, were poured in among them ; to add to their 
confusion, a rocket had penetrated an ammunition- cart, 
which, blowing up with a prodigious sound, filled the 
air with smoke. At the same time the dry grass about 
the seamen catching fire, they were surrounded by so 
dense an atmosphere, that it was impossible for some 
moments to see what was going forward. The wind, 
however, soon blowing aside the murky veil, the fleet 
of merchantmen were seen passing quickly down, while 
the steamers took up their position directly under the 
batteries. On this, up went another shower of rockets, 
which continued without cessation, filling the air with 
long delicate threads of smoke, under which the vessels 
passed in safety, the effect being most beautiful. These 
events occupied some time, and as soon as the sternmost 
ships of the squadron were well out of range of shot, 
the ' Gorgon' hoisted the signal for their return. The 
enemy's guns, as soon as they had no floating opponents 
directly in front, directed their fire at the island, and, 
misled by the flagstaff, peppered away at that, to the 
great delight of the rocket party, who were safe behind 
the bank ; however, the enemy discovered their mistake, 
and turned their guns in the proper direction of the 



AGAINST THE FORTS OF SAN LORENZO. 53 

rocket-battery. The shot fell harmless, as they either 
stuck in the bank or passed over the men's heads like 
cricket-balls. JSTow and then a single rocket was sent 
into some of the enemy's embrasures, which accelerated 
a return of shot. When the little ' Dolphin' came 
down, leading the convoy, at the order, " Cover the 
'Dolphin,'" another volley and running fire burst forth, 
accompanied with loud cheers for the gallant little 
vessel, which passed down with slight damage. Pre- 
parations were made for decamping, and, as a last 
salute, the flag-staff was waved in the face of the 
enemy, which appeared to annoy them much, as a 
heavy fire was drawn towards the retreating party; 
but as they spread out wide apart, the shot passed 
through without touching a single man or article be- 
longing to them. The boat was soon reached, the 
willows cast off, and all hands got on board, when 
" Out oars !" was the word, and away they pulled down 
the stream to join the fleet. 

After these events, the British and French squadron 
relieved Monte Yideo from an attack made on it by 
some of the allies of Rosas, and for some time their 
marines and seamen occupied it, and assisted in placing 
it in a better position of defence. 



THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND. 

1845-1847. 

After the English had taken possession of New Zea- 
land, several of the native chiefs revolted, and took 
refuge in strong forts, generally on the tops of hills, 
and formed of mud and stockades. These forts are 
called Pahs. The war had been carried on for some 
time, and a considerable number of red-coats as well 
as blue-jackets were occasionally employed in it. 

During the storming of one of these pahs, one of the 
'Castor's' sailors, named Sergeant, climbed to the top 
of the stockade, and commenced loading away and 
firing at every one of the enemy that he could see ; 
and when ordered by Colonel Wynyard to come down, 
he coolly replied, " Oh, no, your honour ; here's the 
place to see 'em. Come up here." It was afterwards 
found that his cap had been shot off, his coat shot 
through in four places, and the palisade on which he 
sat was riddled through and through; but the man 
himself was never touched. 



EXPEDITION TO SAN JUAN DE NICARAGUA, 

UNDER CAPTAIN G. G. LOCH, R.N. 

4 

CAPTURE OF FORT SERAPAQUI. 

21st February 1848. 

The State of Nicaragua will be found towards the 
southern portion of that narrow neck of land which 
joins the two continents of North and South America. 
A variety of outrages and insults having been offered 
to British subjects, — two individuals especially having 
been carried off from San Juan by Colonel Salas, of 
the Nicaraguan army, — Mr Walker, Her Majesty's 
Consul-General and Agent, stationed at Bluefieids, sent 
to Admiral Austen, the Commander-in-Chief on the 
West India station, requesting the support and pro- 
tection of some ships-of-war for British interests in 
that part of the world. 

In consequence of this request, the Admiral de- 
spatched H.M.S. < Alarm,' Captain Granville G. Loch, 
and H.M.S. i Vixen,' Commander Ryder, to Blue- 
fields. They reached the mouth of the river the fol- 
lowing day, where the ships came to an anchor. The 
nearest Nicaraguan settlement was at Serapaqui, about 
thirty miles up the river, but which, from the strength of 
the current and various rapids, is generally a four day's 
journey by boats. It was understood that Colonel 



56 EXPEDITION TO 

Salas was stationed at this fort with a considerable 
body of troops. Nothing daunted by this, by the 
known strength of the fort, and the difficulty of ap- 
proaching it, on account of the rapidity of the current 
of the river which there flows by it, Captain Loch re- 
solved to insist on Colonel Salas making all the repara- 
tion in his power, or, in the event of his refusal, to 
compel him to do so by force. 

The fort of Serapaqui was situated on a point pro- 
jecting into the river very abruptly, to the height of 
fifty feet. It was protected in the rear by a dense 
forest, and in the front by an abattis formed of large 
trees felled, with their heads and branches reaching 
into the river. The defences of the fort consisted of 
six angular stockaded entrenchments, formed of very 
tough timber, eight feet high and four feet thick, one 
side of each stockade looking across the river, and the 
other down the reach. The principal stockade com- 
manded the only landing-place, on which also a gun 
was at the time mounted. The fort was only to be 
approached by heading a rapid current of nearly five 
knots an hour, in order to pass the fort and descend 
towards the landing-place, which was above the stock- 
aded batteries, and excessively steep and narrow. The 
fort is situated at the head of a straight reach about 
a mile and a half long, the woods on either side afford- 
ing an almost impenetrable shelter to a concealed foe. 

As soon as the ships anchored, the expedition, con- 
sisting of 260 officers and men, left their sides in twelve 
boats. 

The representations as to the strength of the cur- 
rent were found to be in no way exaggerated ; but with 
a gallantry, zeal, and perseverance never surpassed, 



SAN JUAN DE NICARAGUA. 57 

Captain Loch and his brave followers pulled on hour 
after hour against the stream. Often they had to pass 
over downfalls and rapids, when it was only by the 
greatest exertions the heavy boats could in any way be 
forced along ; and in this service Lieutenant Scott, 
First of the ' Vixen,' showed the most praiseworthy 
zeal and gallantry. At night they rested, but at an 
early hour again each morning they recommenced their 
exertions, and at length, after a most fatiguing pull of 
seventy-two hours, they anchored a short distance 
below the fort. Early on the morning of the 12th of 
February, the expedition got under weigh, and pro- 
ceeded up towards the fort. Captain Loch [and Com- 
mander Ryder went on ahead in their gigs, in order to 
communicate with Colonel Salas, and to state the object 
of Her Majesty's forces being in the river. No sooner, 
however, were they seen from the fort, than they were 
fired at by two guns, and directly afterwards by 
musketry from both sides of the river. As this act 
effectually prevented any peaceable arrangements, Cap- 
tain Loch immediately ordered up the boats for the 
purpose of storming the fort. The two gigs then took 
the lead, followed pretty closely by some of the lighter- 
pulling boats. On they went, pulling against the rapid 
current, which, as they advanced, grew still stronger, 
and exposed all the time to a hot fire of musketry from 
men concealed behind both banks of the river, so that 
there was little use even in attempting to return it. 
From this severe fire several men were wounded, and 
one officer very severely — Mr R. Turner, midshipman 
— and two killed. The boats were also almost riddled 
with shot, and nearly half the oars were broken ; and 
it seems surprising, considering also their crowded state, 



58 EXPEDITION TO SAN JUAN DE NICARAGUA. 

with the mill-stream rate of the current, that a greater 
number of casualties did not occur. In this exposed 
position, often appearing to be quite stationary, they 
had to pull one hour and forty minutes before they 
were enabled to pass the batteries sufficiently high to 
drop down to the landing-place previously mentioned. 

By this time nearly all the boats were up, and Cap- 
tain Loch gave the order to land, he himself leading 
the way. The boats' crews uttered a truly British 
cheer as they leaped on shore, and gallantly charged 
the enemy. The Nicaraguans withstood them for some 
time, but the cutlass and pistol soon did their work ; 
and in ten minutes they had taken to flight, and the 
British flag was hoisted on the fort. One of the first 
on shore was a seaman of the i Vixen' (Denis Burke, 
stoker), who quickly fought his way up to the enemy's 
colours, and captured them. As the enemy fled, the 
British pursued them into the thick woods ; but after 
they had been chased for about thirty minutes, Cap- 
tain Loch, considering that they had been sufficiently 
punished, ordered the recall to be sounded. They then 
destroyed the stockades, spiked the guns, broke the 
trunnions, and threw them, together with all the mus- 
kets and ammunition left behind, into the river. The 
force was next embarked, when the whole of the de- 
fences were set on fire. 

From the dangers to which the party were exposed, 
and the difficulties they overcame, this affair may well 
be considered as one of the most gallant among those 
we have to record. 



THE DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 

26th December 1851. 



DESCRIPTION OF LAGOS. 

The town of Lagos, built at the mouth of the River 
Ogun, which debouches in the Bight of Benin, is a 
healthy place, and well situated for trade. It is the 
seaport also of Abbeokuta, a town of considerable 
dimensions, sixty miles inland from it, and which it is 
hoped will become a very important place, now that 
Lagos is open for legal commerce. 

The more immediate cause of the attack on Lagos 
was in consequence of an application made for assist- 
ance by Akitoye, the lawful chief of Lagos, to Mr 
Beecroft, the British Consul for the Bights of Benin, 
residing at Fernando Po. 

Akitoye, the younger of two brothers, had, by his 
father's will, succeeded as king of Lagos. The elder, 
Kosoko, had been, for misbehaviour, banished. After 
the death of the old king, Akitoye recalled Kosoko, 
and took him into favour; but Kosoko, bribing the 
army, usurped the government, and drove Akitoye to 
take refuge at Badagry. On this Kosoko prepared 
to attack Badagry, and had he been successful, would 
doubtlessly, as he intended, have attacked Abbeokuta 
also, and given a blow to the advance of Christianity 



60 DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 

and civilisation in Africa, from which it would have 
taken her long to recover. On this account Mr Bee- 
croft felt it his duty to apply to the senior officer on 
the coast for a force to destroy Lagos, his movements 
being hurried by hearing that the King of Dahomey 
had sent 1000 picked troops for its support. 

The Commodore, however, sent only the t Blood- 
hound' and a few boats; and Lagos being really a 
strong place, they were compelled to retire with the 
loss of several men. 



SECOND ATTACK ON AND DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 

26th December 1851. 

The first expedition against Lagos having failed solely 
from want of sufficient force to keep possession of the 
town, Commodore Bruce sent one of ample * strength, 
and thoroughly organized, to drive the slave-dealing 
chief Kosoko from his stronghold. 

The squadron appeared off Lagos by the 24th De- 
cember. The boats of the ' Sampson ' and ' Blood- 
hound' were for some time employed in ascertaining 
the position of the enemy's fortifications. The ' Blood- 
hound' and \ Teazer' at this time got on shore, and 
while they were being hove off, their people were ex- 
posed to a very hot fire from the negroes, who soon 
proved that they were no contemptible antagonists. 

As the fire from jingalls, petrals, and muskets con- 
tinued from the ditch and embankment abreast of the ship, 
and as the enemy were observed trying to bring their 
guns into position, at half-past two Lieutenant Thomas 
Saumarez, with the boats of the ' Sampson,' accom- 






DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 61 



parried by Lieutenant E. M 'Arthur, R.M.A., in com- 
mand of the Marine Artillery, was despatched to attempt 
a landing and to spike the guns. They did all that 
men could do ; but it was found impossible to make 
their way through the showers of musketry opened 
against them. Mr Richards, a gallant young midship- 
man, was mortally wounded, and ten men were severely 
wounded ; while so hot was the fire, that there seemed 
every prospect of the whole party being cut off. Still 
they bravely persevered. While undaunted efforts were 
being made to get on shore, Mr William J. Stivey,* 
carpenter of the ' Sampson,' setting a noble example, 
which others followed, leaped on shore, and axe in 
hand, hewed manfully away at the stakes to make a 
passage for the boats to go through them. All, how- 
ever, was in vain ; their numbers were thinning rapidly ; 
and at length Lieutenant Saumarez himself, being hit 
in three places, reluctantly, but very properly, gave the 
signal for return. The remainder of the day was spent 
in throwing shot and shell, as circumstances required, 
so as to prevent any guns being moved against the 
steamer. The nearest shot passed about ten yards 
astern of her. 

The 'Teazer' still continuing on shore, it became 
evident that before the tide rose the enemy would 
destroy her, unless the guns which were annoying her 
were captured. It was resolved, therefore, at once to 
effect this. 

All being ready, the boats pulled in towards the 
stockade, where the best place for landing appeared 
to exist, keeping up all the time a continued fire of 

* " He is one of those men always where he is wanted," says 
Captain Jones in his despatch to the Admiral. 



62 DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 

spherical, grape, and canister shot. As the boats 
touched the shore, they received a discharge directly 
in their faces, of some 1500 muskets ; but, notwith- 
standing this, the men undauntedly landed, and forming 
on the beach, after some severe fighting they forced 
their way into the stockade, driving out the enemy, 
who fled into the thick bush close to the rear of it. 
Among those who landed and charged with Captain 
Lyster were Mr Walling and Mr Spruole, surgeons 
of the l Penelope,' and who afterwards exposed them- 
selves equally in their attendance on the wounded 
under fire. Scarcely had the blacks retreated than 
Lieutenant Corbett rushed ahead, and spiked all the 
guns in the fort. 

This object being accomplished, Captain Lyster 
issued orders for the re-embarkation of the party ; but 
scarcely had he done so, when it was discovered that 
the enemy, having made a desperate rush at the first . 
life-boat, had succeeded in getting hold of her, and 
were tracking her along the beach towards the spot 
where the guns were posted which had first opened 
on the ' Teazer.' On seeing this, the British, headed 
by their gallant leader, Captain Lyster, hurried down 
to the shore for the purpose of retaking her ; but some 
delay occurred in consequence of having to divide her 
crew of sixty men among the other boats, which some- 
what crowded them. The enemy, on seeing this, 
rushed back from their concealment in the woods by 
swarms, and poured in a destructive crushing fire on 
the boats at pistol range. On this occasion a gallant 
young officer, Mr F. R. Fletcher, midshipman in com- 
mand of the second cutter, and who had charge of the 
boats while on shore, was shot through the head and 



DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 63 

killed. Several officers and men had before been wounded 
on shore, among whom was Lieutenant Williams, of 
the Marine Artillery, who, though hit in three places, 
had continued at the head of his men till they returned 
to the boats. Commander Hillyar was also wounded, 
and very many of the men were killed. Among the 
latter was James Webb, gunner's mate, belonging to 
the first life-boat. When he saw that she was likely to 
fall into the hands of the blacks, he made a desperate 
attempt to spike her gun ; but while thus engaged, he 
was cut down by the enemy, and mortally wounded. 
While Commander Hillyar was arranging the boats, so 
that they might keep up their fire as they retreated to 
the ' Teazer,' some of the Kroomen on board Mr Bee- 
croft's ' Victoria ' let go her anchor, and there she lay 
exposed entirely to the fire of the blacks. On seeing 
this, Captain Lyster pulled back to her to learn what 
was the matter. " What has occurred now !" he asked 
of Mr Blight, the boatswain. " The Kroomen let go 
the anchor without orders," he replied. " Then slip 
your cable, and get out of this," exclaimed Captain 
Lyster. " It's a chain-cable, clenched to the bottom, 
and we can't unshackle it," replied Mr Blight. On 
hearing this disheartening intelligence, Captain Lyster 
jumped on board to see what assistance he could render. 
Just then, Lieutenant Corbett staggered up towards 
the stern, exclaiming, " I have done it, and am alive !" 
In truth, he had cut the chain-cable with a cold chisel, 
and in so doing, while leaning over the bows of the 
boat, had received five different wounds, which, with 
the addition of a severe one received on shore, rendered 
him almost helpless. His right arm was hanging to 
his side, but he still with his left worked away, and 



64 DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 

assisted in getting the ' Yictoria ' off to the ' Teazer.' 
While Captain Lyster was leaving the ' Yictoria ' to 
get into his own boat, he was shot in the back with a 
musket-ball. On account of the hot fire to which they 
were still exposed, and the number of men already 
killed and wounded, he judged that he should not be 
justified in attempting to recover the life-boat on that 
occasion. Leaving her, therefore, on the beach, the 
party returned to the ' Teazer.' The people who had 
at first got possession of the life-boat had afterwards 
abandoned her ; but they now returned, and some forty 
or fifty got into her, intending to carry her off. Seeing 
this, Mr Balfour, acting-mate, assisted by Mr Dewar, 
gunner, pulling back to the shore in the first cutter, 
threw a rocket towards her, and so well directed was 
it, that it entered her magazine, and blew it up. As 
soon as the party got back to the ' Teazer ' (having 
now pretty well silenced the fire of the enemy), they 
set to work to get all the provisions out of her, and 
then, having thrown overboard all her coals, with the 
exception of ten tons, they contrived to shore her up, 
to await the rising of the tide. At length their ex- 
ertions were crowned with success, and at sunset they 
succeeded in heaving her off. Then getting up the 
steam, they anchored out of gunshot for the night. 

On this unfortunate occasion there were no less than 
thirteen men killed belonging to H.M.S. ' Penelope,' 
besides Mr Fletcher and Mr H. M. Gillham, master's 
assistant, who afterwards died of his wounds ; while 
Captain Lyster, Commander Hillyar, Lieutenant Cor- 
bett, and First -Lieutenant of Marines J. W. C. 
Williams, were wounded severely, together with fifty- 
seven men of the ' Penelope,' and two of the ' Teazer,' 






DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 65 

most of them also very severely wounded. Crowded 
together in so small a vessel during the night, the poor 
fellows suffered greatly, though the medical officers 
of the expedition, Mr R. Carpenter, senior surgeon, 
Mr Walling, assistant-surgeon of the ' Penelope,' Dr 
Barclay, acting-surgeon, and Dr Sproule, assistant- 
surgeon, exerted themselves to their very utmost in the 
performance of their duty on the wounded. During the 
day they had never flinched from exposing their own 
lives, as, in the midst of the fire, they stepped from 
boat to boat to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded 
and dying. 

Soon after seven o'clock in the morning, the ' Teazer' 
was got under weigh, and finding the right channel, 
steamed up towards the ' Bloodhound,' with the 
squadron of boats in her company. As soon as she 
was seen from the ' Bloodhound,' Captain Jones 
ordered that the guns of the < Bloodhound's' gunboats 
should open a deliberate flanking fire on the west part 
of the enemy's defences ; and he then sent a boat under 
Mr Bulien, his clerk, who was acting as his aide-de- 
camp, to point out to Captain Lyster the position in 
which he wished the ' Teazer' to be anchored. At ten 
minutes past eight, the ' Teazer' having anchored, Cap- 
tain Jones pulled on board her, to consult further with 
Captain Lyster on the plan of proceeding. The rocket- 
boats were then ordered to take up a position to the 
northward of the ' Bloodhound.' This was quickly 
done, and Lieutenant Marshall threw some rockets with 
beautiful effect, setting fire to several houses, among 
which, to the satisfaction of all, was that of the Prime 
Minister Tappis. When this was seen, a hearty and 
spontaneous cheer ran through the whole squadron for 

E 



66 DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 

the crew of the rocket-boat, who had thus punished the 
chief instigator of the former attack on the British boats. 
After this, the rocket- boat shifted her position ahead 
of the ' Teazer,' and a general but deliberate fire was 
opened from the whole force. At forty-five minutes past 
ten, Lieutenant Marshall threw a rocket which struck 
the battery below Tappis's house, and at the same time 
a shot from the ' Teazer' capsized the gun. The firing 
became still more rapid ; an awful explosion ensued ; a 
magazine of the enemy's had blown up, and from this 
moment the fate of Lagos was decided, — house after 
house caught fire, and the whole town was shortly in a 
general blaze. More ships-of-war now came in, and 
Kosoko finding his cause hopeless, took to flight, and 
Akitoye was reinstated. 

The only portion of the British forces landed was a 
small body, under Commander Coote, who went on 
shore to spike guns. 

The next morning, he, with Commander Gardner 
and the boats of the 'Sampson' and Penelope,' was 
employed in a similar way. They returned in the 
afternoon, having by extraordinary exertions embarked 
or destroyed fifty-two pieces of ordnance. 

Captain Jones in his despatch especially mentions 
Captain Lyster and Commander Hillyar, neither of 
whom, though severely wounded, would return on board 
till they had seen the success of their exertions. He 
speaks also in high terms of Lieutenants Marshall, 
Rich, Corbett, and Saumarez ; of Mr J. Cook, gunner 
of the ' Sampson ;' of Charles Blofield, boatswain's 
mate, who commanded the pinnace when there re- 
mained no officer to put into her ; of George Yule, 
gunner of Royal Marine Artillery, who served a twenty- 



DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS. 67 

four-inch howitzer in the first life-boat with admirable 
precision ; of Mr Donelly, the surgeon of the * Sampson/ 
who nearly lost his life in coming to the assistance of the 
wounded; of Mr Hacking, purser; and of Mr Robert 
H. Bullen, who acted as his secretary and aide-de- 
camp, and "than whom," he observes, "no lieutenant 
could have clone better." 

Lagos has now been erected into a British province. 



THE WAR WITH BURMAH. 

1851, 1852. 

4 

CAPTURE OF MARTABAN, RANGOON, AND BASSEIN. 

Although the war with Burmah was rather a military 
than a naval war, yet as our ships and steamers were 
actively engaged in it, and our blue-jackets took a pro- 
minent part in the operations even on shore, we must 
not omit to notice it. 

Towards the middle of the year 1851, numerous 
complaints had reached the supreme Government of 
Calcutta of the oppressive tyranny of the Governor of 
Rangoon, directed, it appeared, chiefly against British 
subjects residing at or trading to Rangoon. 

The more immediate cause of British interference 
was the conduct of the Governor towards Captains 
Shippard and Lewis ; — the latter especially he had 
placed in irons, insulted, heavily fined, and othewise ill- 
treated. 

The Government in consequence resolved to de- 
mand satisfaction, and despatched accordingly, on the 
18th November 1851, H.M.S. 'Fox,' flag-ship of Com- 
modore Lambert, Commander Tarleton, and the H.C. 
steamer ' Tenasserim,' from Calcutta, which were joined 
at Maulmain by the H.C, steamer 'Proserpine,' and 
H.M.S. ' Serpent,' when the squadron proceeded at once 



COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES. 09 

to Rangoon, off which they moored on the 25th of the 
same month. Some time passed in negotiating, without 
effect. 

The Burmese at length seeing that the British 
were in earnest, tried to avert the coming storm for a 
time, The Commodore, even yet anxious to prevent 
bloodshed, undertook to postpone operations till the 
following evening, in order to allow the Yiceroy time 
to tender the apology he demanded. Instead of an 
apology, however, at eight p.m. a message arrived from 
the Viceroy to the effect that, if the British ships at- 
tempted to pass the stockades erected on the banks of 
the river, they would be fired on. Information was 
received that nearly 5000 troops were assembled near 
the stockades, and during Wednesday night and the 
following day, numerous war-boats, each containing 
from fifty to eighty men, were discovered coming down 
the river. At the same time several vessels full of 
armed men arrived at the general rendezvous from the 
Pegu River. 



COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES. 

On Saturday morning warlike operations were at 
length commenced. The 'Hermes' steamer, Captain 
Fishbourne, first towed the 'Fox' frigate to within 
400 yards of the stockade, where she anchored to pro- 
tect the merchantmen as they passed by to be out of 
fire. In the meantime the * Hermes' went in search 
of a large Burmese war-vessel, with which she soon 
returned as her prize in tow. 

The English vessels having dispersed or sunk a fleet 



70 COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES. 

of war-boats which came out to meet them, steamed 
along the shore, pouring in an iron shower, which tore 
their stockades to pieces, and quickly silenced their 
batteries. 

The squadron now took up a position at the mouth 
of the Rangoon River, the Commodore declaring the 
rivers of Rangoon, the Bassein, and the Salween above 
Maulmain, to be in a state of blockade. 

Meanwhile the H.C. steamer ' Proserpine,' after 
landing the hostages from Rangoon at Maulmain, was 
ordered to proceed to Calcutta with despatches from 
the Commodore. 

On her arrival on the 17th of January, the Governor- 
General being absent, the Supreme Council resolved to 
equip a force to carry on hostilities against Burmah ; 
while reinforcements were despatched with unusual 
promptitude, to strengthen the forts guarding the 
passes leading from the Burmese territory. 

On the 1st of April, Her Majesty's steamer i Rat- 
tler' arrived from Penang, at the mouth of the Ran- 
goon river, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Austin, 
C.B., when Commodore Lambert became second in 
command. 

General Godwin, the Commander-in-Chief, arrived 
on the 13th of April ; and the Burmese Emperor having 
offered no apology, the steamers ran close in with 
Martaban, rapidly firing broadside after broadside. 
The enemy for some time returned their fire with spirit ; 
but their guns being silenced, the troops were thrown 
on shore, and they fled in every direction. The walls 
and defences exhibited the terrific effects of the broad- 
sides poured in on them. Of the English only eight 
were wounded. 



COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES. 71 

The squadron was now augmented by twelve Com- 
pany's steamers, which had, besides marines, 5767 
troops on board. 

With this formidable force Rangoon was attacked 
on the 12th of April. The steamers fired for many 
hours shot and shell without intermission, which de- 
stroyed and set on fire the enemy's stockades and other 
defences. A small naval brigade, commanded by Lieu- 
tenant Darville, H.M.S. ; Rattler/ did good service 
on shore. For three days the Burmese garrison held 
out, stockade after stockade was stormed and taken in 
a most gallant way by the troops. On the 14th, the 
grand attack was made, and the great Pagoda was 
stormed ; when, after some more severe fighting, Ran- 
goon fell into the hands of the British. Captain Arm- 
strong and several other officers and men of the land 
forces were killed, and many wounded. 

Bassein was captured in the same spirited way on 
the 19th of May. At the Pagoda here, the Burmese 
defended themselves with much determination ; but it 
was stormed by some troops and some of the Naval 
Brigade, when Lieutenant Rice, R.N., was wounded 
severely, three men killed, and seven officers and twenty- 
four men wounded. 

While these operations were going on, Martaban, in 
which only a small garrison had been left, was attacked 
by the Burmese, but they were driven back in a very 
gallant manner by Major Hall and his men. 



72 CAPTURE OF PEGU. 

CAPTURE OF PEGU. 
14th June 1852. 

An attack on Pegu being next resolved on, an expedi- 
tion, consisting of 230 troops, who were embarked on 
board the ' Phlegethon,' and the boats of that vessel 
and H.M.S. 'Fox,' under the command of Captain 
Tarleton, left Rangoon on the 3d of June, and pro- 
ceeded up the river. 

As the boats advanced, a sharp fire of musketry was 
opened on them from the Pegu side. On this, Captain 
Tarleton, seeing the disadvantage under which they 
laboured from being beneath the enemy's fire, with no 
effectual means of returning it, landed with the boats' 
crews of H.M.S. i Fox,' and was shortly after joined 
by Captain Neblett and the boats' crews of the 
' Phlegethon' — in all about fifty men. Meantime Mr 
M'Murdo, mate, was left in charge of the boats. As 
Captain Tarleton and his party advanced, the Burmese 
fired on them, but were driven from point to point, 
until completely broken ; one party retreating by the 
river side to the northward, and the other within the 
old wall of the city. Their object being attained, they 
were retiring in close order to the boats, when a fire 
of jingalls and musketry was opened on them lv$>m 
the walls. Deeming it unwise to allow the Burmese to 
suppose they were retreating, Captain Tarleton led his 
party to the attack, having found a native guide to 
show them the causeway through the ditch. Having 
halted a few seconds to gain breath, they rushed in 
over the causeway, and through a breach to the right 
of the gateway. On getting over the wall, after a 
stout defence the enemy fled, and ultimately retired 



EXPEDITION UP THE IRRAWADDY. 73 

within the great Pagoda. Meantime the boats had 
been attacked, but were bravely defended by Mr 
M'Murdo, who succeeded in getting them to the other 
side of the river, Major Cotton having sent a detach- 
ment to their support. After the troops and seamen 
had rested for some time, the Burmese were observed 
issuing from the Pagoda in considerable strength, with 
the evident intention of attacking them. The troops 
lost not a moment in getting under arms, and the sea- 
men forthwith came on shore. The British instantly 
advanced ; and before the Burmese could recover from 
their surprise at a movement so little expected, the 
place was carried without another casualty. H.M.S. 
4 Fox' had three men wounded, and the ' Phlegethon' 
one seaman killed. 

The force, after destroying the fortifications, re- 
turned to Rangoon on the 5th. 



EXPEDITION UP THE IRRAWADDY, UNDER CAPTAIN 
TARLETON, R.N., AND CAPTURE OF PROME. 

9th July. 

It being important to ascertain the number and position 
of the enemy posted on the banks of the Irrawaddy, 
Commodore Lambert directed Captain Tarleton to take 
under his orders H.M.S. 'Medusa' and three Com- 
pany's steamers, and to proceed up the river for the 
purpose of obtaining that information. Accordingly, 
on the 6th of July, the vessels proceeded up the Irra- 
waddy. At a place called Konnoughee, twenty-five 
miles below Prome, a large body of armed men were 
observed collected on the banks ; and on a shell being 



74 EXPEDITION UP THE IERAWADDY. 

fired among them, they opened a vigorous fire from six 
guns and from a large number of musketry. At a 
short distance from Prome the river divides into two 
streams, the left, or western, being the deepest, and 
the only navigable branch at any season but the rainy 
one. At sunset the expedition anchored off Meaoung. 
At daylight on the 8th, it again weighed and proceeded 
till within sight of an extensive fortification, crowning 
the end of a ridge of hills 800 feet high, terminating 
abruptly at the town of Akouktoung, which completely 
commands the river. Here the position being strongly 
fortified, a Burmese army of about 10,000 men had 
been assembled, under General Bundoola, to guard the 
passage to Prome and the capital. Captain Tarleton 
having been warned of the resistance he would meet, 
and hearing from the native pilots that at that season 
the eastern stream was navigable, determined to try it. 
Instead, therefore, of keeping on, to the disappointment 
of the enemy, who had begun to fire on him, he turned 
off through the eastern channel, and was quickly be- 
yond their reach, having had not less than two fathoms 
water in the channel. By steaming through the night, 
the rest of the squadron came off Prome by daylight on 
the morning of the 9th. At the south end of the town, 
near the water's edge, four heavy guns were seen, but 
no troops were observed in the place. 

Captain Tarleton accordingly anchored the < Medusa' 
abreast of the spot, and soon hove them off. The iron 
guns were disabled and sunk in deep water, and the 
brass ones were taken on board. When the other 
vessels joined their crews with the boats' crews of the 
'Fox,' heartily entering on the work, every gun in 
Prome, twenty-three in number, was brought off. In 



EXPEDITION UP THE IRRAWADDY. / 

the afternoon the i Medusa ' ascended the river ten 
miles higher ; but Captain Tarleton felt himself bound 
by his orders to return. His feelings may be supposed 
when he thus found himself at Prorne, within four days' 
steaming of Ava, with a certain knowledge that there 
was nothing to oppose him, and with a broad, deep 
river, easy of navigation, before him. Had he had with 
him one regiment and half a battery of guns, there is 
every reason to believe he might have taken the capital, 
so totally unprepared were the Burmese for any ad- 
vance in the rains. However, he was of course com- 
pelled to obey the orders he had received. After re- 
maining there for twenty-four hours, the place was 
evacuated, and the flotilla returned. On reaching the 
main stream, the army of Bundoola was observed in 
motion, crossing the river, evidently with the intention 
of following the steamers. They in consequence 
opened with shot and shell upon the confused masses 
on shore and on the boats, spreading havoc and dismay 
among them. Between forty and fifty boats were 
captured and destroyed. The General's state-barge, 
several large war- canoes, a standard, two gold um- 
brellas, and other spoil, fell into the hands of the 
British. The whole trip occupied only nine days. In 
its progress the expedition received the most convinc- 
ing proofs that the population of Burmah were adverse 
to the war, and anxious to come under the British rule. 
Looking at the expedition by itself, it was as gallant 
and dashing an undertaking as any which took place 
during the war. 

When Captain Tarleton returned and reported what 
had occurred, a large body of troops were sent up the 
river on board the steamers to Prome, which was cap- 



70 OPERATIONS ON THE IRRAWADDY. 

tured on the 9th of October, after a slight loss, only 
four men being wounded on the side of the British. 

The inhabitants of Pegu were friendly to the English ; 
but soon after the troops had been withdrawn, a strong 
Burmese army re-entered the town, and commenced 
fortifying the city. A force was accordingly sent to 
drive out the enemy and re-occupy it. This was done 
in a spirited manner on the 21st November. The 
morning being foggy, the Burmese, who did not see 
their approach, were taken by surprise. They retreated 
as usual to the Pagoda, from whence by a rush of the 
troops they were driven out. The fighting was severe, 
as no less than six men were killed and thirty-one 
wounded of the troops. The navy, as usual, did their 
part well. 

OPERATIONS ON THE IRRAWADDY. 

The principal towns of the province being in the hands 
of the British, it became important to clear the inter- 
mediate country of the enemy, especially the banks of 
the rivers, where they were of much annoyance to the 
provision-boats. In this service the naval force were 
constantly and very actively employed. Several of the 
expeditions were under the command of the lamented 
Captain Granville Loch, who displayed in them the same 
zeal and daring courage for which he had already made 
himself conspicuous. 



ATTACKS ON MYA TOON, THE ROBBER CHIEFTAIN. 

The rapidity and success of the first movements of the 
British in Burmah paralysed the Burmese authorities ; 



ATTACKS ON MYA TOON. 77 

but their subsequent inactivity again gave heart to the 
Government at Ava, and encouraged the idea that it 
was possible to drive them back to the sea. 

In consequence of the absence of all local govern- 
ment, robbers sprang up in every direction, and being 
allowed to organize themselves, devastated and almost 
ruined the country. Among the most noted of these 
robber chieftains was Mya Toon. He burned down 
Donabew, Zaloon, and many other villages. His 
stronghold was about twenty-five miles inland from 
Rangoon. In consequence of the depredations he was 
committing, Brigadier Dickenson, the commandant at 
Rangoon, and Commodore Lambert, resolved to send 
a combined naval and military force to dislodge him. 
The military force consisted of 300 men of the 67th 
regiment Bengal Native Infantry, who, together with 
a body of marines and blue -jackets from H.M.'s ships 
4 Fox,' ' Winchester,' and ' Sphinx,' were placed under 
the command of Captain Granville Loch. There were 
185 seamen, 62 marines, and 25 officers; but of these, 
42 seamen and 5 officers were left in charge of the 
boats. This force was conveyed from Rangoon to 
Donabew on the 2d July, in the ' Phlegethon ' and 
ships' boats. They landed at Donabew without oppo- 
sition ; and having procured some natives to act as 
guides, and to aid in drawing the two three-pound 
field-guns belonging to the 'Phlegethon,' they pro- 
ceeded to march on the following day towards the 
position the enemy were supposed to occupy. 

The whole of the 3d of February they marched 
along a pathway, which lay through a jungle of forest 
trees and brushwood. Encamping in a deserted valley, 
about fifteen miles from Donabew, they were disturbed 



78 ATTACKS ON MYA TOON. 

occasionally by the distant shots and noises of the 
enemy. Early on the following morning, the column 
moved on about five miles farther along the same path, 
until it abruptly terminated on the side of a broad 
nullah or creek, the opposite side of which was high 
enough to command the approach, and the whole well 
entrenched and armed after the manner of the native 
fortifications of Burmah. The road at this point had 
narrowed by an abattis of sharp-pointed bamboos, which 
rendered it impossible to deploy the whole strength of 
the column ; indeed, the advance-guard, consisting of 
seamen and marines, marched with difficulty two or 
three abreast, and the field-guns were in the rear. At 
this moment a heavy and murderous fire was opened by 
the enemy upon the British troops, the Burmese being 
wholly concealed by the breastworks, and the British, 
on the contrary, entirely exposed. Almost every man 
who approached the edge of that fatal creek was mowed 
down. Lieutenant Kennedy, of the ' Fox,' and Cap- 
tain Price, of the 67th Bengal Infantry, were killed on 
the spot. Captain Loch, with the daring which had 
always distinguished him, led on his gallant followers 
to the attack. For ten minutes he seemed, to use the 
expression of one of his companions, " to bear a charmed 
life," for he stood unhurt in the midst of that terrible 
fire. Twice he made an unsuccessful attempt to lead 
his men across the nullah, to storm the fort hand to 
hand, but each time he was driven back. As he again 
rallied the seamen and marines for a third attack, a 
ball fired by a man in a tree struck him on the left side, 
on his watch, and with such force that it drove the 
watch itself into his body. He instantly felt that he 
was mortally wounded, but had still strength and 



ATTACKS ON MTA TOON. 79 

self-possession to fall back about fifteen paces to the 
rear. 

The command of the naval force, which had hitherto 
sustained the brunt of the action, devolved by the death 
and wounds of the senior officers on Commander Lam- 
bert, the son of the Commodore. Twice with his brave 
companions he made determined but vain attempts to 
get across to the enemy, when many more lives were 
lost. He himself received four balls through his clothes, 
though he fortunately escaped unhurt; but a large 
proportion of officers and men were already wounded. 
It therefore became absolutely necessary to provide, 
without delay, for the retreat of the party by the only 
road left open to them, the one by which they had 
advanced, the jungle being impervious in every other 
direction. The fire of the enemy was still very severe, 
and each instant more of the British were falling. Most 
of the native dooly-bearers and guides had cowardly and 
treacherously decamped ; and it was therefore necessary 
to employ every man in carrying the wounded. As, 
under these circumstances, it was impossible to carry 
off the guns, they were spiked, and the carriages de- 
stroyed. The party were compelled even to leave their 
dead on the field. The enemy kept up a distant fire, 
but never ventured to approach within fighting distance 
of the rear, which was manfully covered by the grena- 
dier company of the 67th. 

For twelve hours of a most fatiguing march did the 
dejected and mourning party retreat towards Donabew, 
displaying in adversity the same courage, discipline, 
and good-will they had so often exhibited in success. 
Lieutenants Glover and Bushnell, and also Messrs 
Hincle and Wilson, mates, though themselves suffering 



80 ATTACKS ON MYA TOON. 

from their own wounds, successfully exerted themselves 
in keeping up the spirits of their men, who, under a 
burning sun, without water, had to carry the heavy 
burden of their wounded leader for nearly twenty-four 
miles. At Donabew, the seamen and marines embarked 
in their boats, and the troops were conveyed in the 
' Phlegethon ' to Hangoon. The gallant Captain Loch 
was removed to the ' Phlegethon,' where he expired on 
the morning of the 6th February, about forty hours 
after he had received his wound. He was buried near 
the Great Pagoda, at Rangoon, amid the general grief 
of ail who served under him or knew him. 

It was not till some time after this, that Mya Toon 
was dislodged from his stronghold by a strong force 
under Sir John Cheape, when several officers and men 
were killed and wounded. 

The war itself was soon afterwards brought to a 
successful conclusion. 



THE RUSSIAN WAR. 

1854-1855. 

Who will forget that 11th March 1854, when the 
Queen reviewed at Spithead the most powerful fleet 
ever collected, and placed under the command of Sir 
Charles Napier, with his flag on board the ' Duke of 
Wellington,' of 131 guns, — which ship alone would 
almost have been capable of contending with the largest 
fleet Howe, Jervis, or Nelson ever led to victory? That 
superb fleet was intended chiefly for the Baltic, where 
it was hoped that not only would it humble the pride 
of the Czar, by capturing Sveaborg, Helsingfors, and 
Cronstadt, but might lay St Petersburg itself under 
contribution. Some of the ships went to the Black 
Sea, and in other directions ; but Sir Charles Napier 
found himself altogether in command of a fleet in the 
Baltic consisting of thirty steamers and thirteen sailing 
ships, mounting 2052 guns. The French also had a 
fleet of twenty-three ships, carrying 1250 guns. 

To the Black Sea, England sent a fleet of forty-nine 
ships, mounting altogether 1701 guns ; and the French, 
one of thirty-six ships, mounting altogether 1742 guns. 

We will in the first place give a short account of 
the various events connected with the navy which 
occurred during the war, and afterwards enlarge on 
those of more interest and importance. 

The allied fleet entered the Black Sea in January 
1854. 



BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA. 



BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA. 

War having been declared, the steamer 4 Furious ' was 
sent to Odessa early in April, to bring off the British 
Consul. 

Having anchored in the bay with a flag of truce at 
her mast-head, a boat, also with a flag of truce flying, 
pulled for the shore, when, against all the laws of 
civilised warfare, the batteries opened fire on them. 
No one was hit, and the ' Furious ' steamed back to the 
fleet. The allied admirals, indignant at the outrage, 
addressed a note to the Russian governor, General 
Osten-Sackeu, pointing out the outrage which had 
been committed, and demanding " that all the British, 
French, and Russian vessels now at anchor near the 
citadel or the batteries of Odessa be forthwith delivered 
up to the combined squadron ; and that if at sunset 
no answer or a negative be received, they will be com- 
pelled by force to avenge the insult offered, though, 
for humanity's sake, they adopt the alternative with 
regret, and cast the responsibility of the act upon those 
to whom it belongs." 

No satisfactory answer having been received, the 
combined fleet opened fire on the fortifications of 
Odessa on the 22d April. The bombardment lasted 
for ten hours, during which the Russian batteries were 
considerably injured, two batteries blew up, vast 
quantities of military stores were destroyed, and several 
ships-of-war were sunk. 



OPERATIONS IN THE BALTIC. 83 



LOSS OF THE ' TIGER.' 



On the 12th of May, during a thick fog, the steain- 
sloop ' Tiger,' sixteen guns, Commander Gifford, went 
on shore on the rocks near Odessa. While she was 
thus utterly helpless, the Russians, as soon as they 
caught sight of her, opened fire on her, and Captain 
Gifford, being desperately wounded (mortally, as it 
proved), was at length compelled to strike his flag. 
The Russians, having removed her guns and stores, 
set fire to the vessel, and forwarded the flag as a 
trophy to St Petersburg. It was one of the very few, 
either from red-coats or blue-jackets, they got during 
the war. 



OPERATIONS IN THE BALTIC. 

We must now go north to the Baltic. 

Sir Charles Napier's squadron reached Wingo Sound 
on the 15th March, and on the 25th it entered the 
Great Belt, and anchored in Kiel Bay. Soon after- 
wards, Sir Charles was reinforced by Admiral Corry, 
with the second division of the fleet. On the 12th of 
April, Sir Charles sailed for the Gulf of Finland, where 
he established a rigorous blockade. As, even at this 
season of the year, there is a considerable amount of 
ice in the Baltic, the navigation of the ships demanded 
all the vigilance of the officer in charge. Sir Charles, 
hearing that a Russian squadron, consisting of seven 
line-of-battle ships and one frigate, was shut up at 
Helsingfors, made sail in that direction for the purpose 



84 i ARROGANT ' AND c HECLA. 1 

of preventing a junction between the two portions of 
the Russian fleet. In this very important object, in 
which the enemy's plan of naval operations was com- 
pletely defeated, he was entirely successful. 

Admiral Plumridge meantime was scouring the 
Gulf of Bothnia, and in a short period captured or 
destroyed forty-six merchantmen and a quantity of 
naval stores, without losing a man. The French 
squadron, under Vice-Admiral Parseval-Deschenes, 
had now joined the English fleet, and everybody ex- 
pected that something w r as to be done. 



'arrogant' and 'hecla.' 
19th May. 

These two steamers — the first a screw, commanded 
by Captain Yelverton, and the second by Captain Hall 
— had been detached from the fleet, and employed for 
a considerable time in reconnoitring the forts of the 
enemy about Hango Bay. 

The two captains, hearing that some ships lay off 
the town of Eckness, some way up a narrow river, 
determined to cut them out/ They boldly entered 
the river, and on the evening of the 19th came to an 
anchor. 

One of the boats was sent on ahead, when, before 
she had got 800 yards from the ship, a hot fire was 
opened on her from behind a sandbank in a thickly- 
wooded place. At the same time some round-shot 
struck the ' Hecla.' Both ships instantly beat to quar- 
ters, and casting loose their guns, poured showers of 
shot and shell into the wood, from whence they speedily 



' ARROGANT ' AND ' HECLA.' 85 

dislodged the enemy. They then shifted their berth, 
and were not further molested during the night. A 
bright look-out was kept, however, to prevent surprise. 
At two a.m. both ships weighed, the 'Hecla' leading, 
and the crews being at their quarters. They slowly 
and carefully felt their way along the intricate naviga- 
tion of the river, till they suddenly found themselves 
within range of the guns of a battery posted on a 
promontory before them, which was crowded with 
soldiers, stout-looking fellows, habited in long grey 
coats, and spiked helmets of steel, which glittered 
brightly in the sun. The ' Hecla ' immediately opened 
fire, which the battery returned with spirit ; and the 
' Arrogant' now coming up, let fly a whole broadside 
among the soldiers, just as some horse-artillery had 
made their appearance, and were unlimbering prepara- 
tory to engaging. As the smoke cleared off, the troop 
of artillery were seen scampering away at full speed. 
A heavy fire of musketry now burst forth from a wood 
on one side, and continued for some time without inter- 
mission, the Minie balls falling thick on board both 
ships. 

While this work was going forward the ' Arrogant' 
ran aground within twenty yards of the battery, but in 
a position which allowed her guns full play on it. So 
smartly were they worked that they dismounted all the 
guns of the enemy ; and having done so, her crew set 
to work, and got her off. As they passed close to the 
port, they witnessed the state of complete ruin which 
they had so speedily caused — guns dismounted, car- 
riages blown to fragments, and accoutrements and 
helmets scattered around. 

Proceeding on, the town of Eckness now opened 



86 ATTACK ON FORT GUSTAVUSYARN. 

ahead of the two steamers, and before the town lay the 
vessels which they wished to carry off. The water now 
shoaled, and the ' Arrogant' could proceed no higher. 
Just then a battery opened on them. The l Arrogant ' 
accordingly anchored, swung broadside to the battery, 
and engaged the batteries ; while the ' Hecla,' throwing 
shells at the enemy, steamed up to Eckness, and run- 
ning alongside a barque, the only one of the vessels 
afloat, to the astonishment and dismay of the inhabit- 
ants, took her in tow, and carried her off in triumph. 
The two ships then returned down the river with their 
prize. On their way they met the ' Dauntless,' which 
had been sent up by the Admiral to ascertain the cause 
of the firing. On their way down, Captain Hall landed 
with his marines and some blue-jackets at one of the 
forts, and sending out the marines as skirmishers to 
keep the enemy at bay, hoisted one of the guns into his 
boat, and carried it off as a trophy. The ' Hecla' had 
one man killed ; one shot passed through her side, and 
several through her funnel. The 'Arrogant' had two 
men killed. When the two ships rejoined the fleet on 
the 21st, they were greeted with the signal from the 
Admiral of " Well done, 'Arrogant' and 'Hecla!'" 



ATTACK ON FORT GUSTAYUSYAKN, HANGO BAY. 
22d May. 

The Admiral, by signal, ordered the ' Dragon,' Cap- 
tain Wilcox, to try the range of her guns on Fort 
Gustavusvarn, which she did, sending the fascines and 
sandbags flying into the fort. The fort then began to 
return the fire. The ' Magicienne ' was later in the day 



1 ODIN ' AND ' VULTURE ' AT GAMLA CARLEBY. 87 

ordered to join in the attack, while Captain Hall, in 
the 'Hecla,' attacked another fort, that of Gustavus 
Adolphus. The ' HeclaV guns told with considerable 
effect, but she was well out of range of those of the 
enemy. The ' Dragon ' had one man killed, and one 
or two wounded, and was considerably damaged. 



' ODIN' AND ' VULTURE' AT GAMLA CARLEBY. 
1st June. 

These two steamers belonged to Admiral Plumridge's 
division, in the Gulf of Bothnia. Having destroyed 
the shipping and marine stores in various places along 
the coast, they arrived in the neighbourhood of Old 
Carleby. At seven p.m., two paddle-box boats, two 
pinnaces, four cutters, and one gig — nine boats in all — 
containing 180 officers and men, carrying six twenty- 
four-pounder howitzers and two twelve-pounders, were 
sent away under the command of Lieutenant Wise, of 
the ' Vulture,' who was accompanied by Lieutenants 
Madden and Burton, Marine Artillery, and by Dv 
Duncan. 

After a long pull, the boats anchored near some 
storehouses at the mouth of a narrow creek, when, with 
a flag of truce, Lieutenant "Wise went on shore, and 
communicated with the authorities. 

On his return, the flag of truce was withdrawn, and 
some of the boats went ahead to sound, the others 
following closely. A narrow creek appearing, leading 
to the town, Lieutenant Carrington, in one of the boats, 
was ordered up it to explore. On passing some build- 
ings, some soldiers were seen, and the boat was on the 



88 BOMARSUND. 

point of returning to report the circumstance, when a 
wall was thrown down, and a volley of musketry was 
poured on her, which killed Lieutenant Carrington, Mr 
Montague, mate, and Mr Athorpe, midshipman, and 
wounded Lieutenant Lewis, R.M., and Mr M'Grath, 
midshipman, and fourteen men. The boat, which was 
much injured, was taken in tow, and carried out to the 
' Odin.' The other boats immediately opened fire, the 
gunner of the 'Vulture' firing no less than twenty- 
seven times before he fell, badly wounded. 

One of the 'Vulture's' boats, with Mr Morphy, 
mate, and twenty-five seamen, was disabled, and drift- 
ing on shore, was captured by the enemy. In another 
of her boats one marine was killed, and six were 
wounded. By this time the enemy had brought five 
field-pieces into action ; the remaining boats therefore 
pulled off out of range, having lost altogether fifty-two 
killed, wounded, and missing, in this most unfortunate 
though gallant affair. 

No fault was found with the way in which the ex- 
pedition was commanded, while both officers and men 
behaved with the most perfect intrepidity and coolness. 

Most of the crew of the missing boat escaped with 
their lives, and were made prisoners. 






BOMARSUND. 
2 1st June. 



A small squadron, consisting of the ' Hecla,' ' Va- 
lorous,' and ' Odin,' under Captain Hall, was sent in 
to engage the batteries of Bomarsund, on the 21st of 
June. This they did in the most spirited manner, 



BOMARSUND. 89 

receiving a hot fire in return both from the forts and 
from riflemen posted in the neighbourhood ; rifle-bul- 
lets and shot and shell falling thickly on board. The 
British blue-jackets were, however, far better pleased 
to have a few shot sent among them, than to be doomed 
to play at long bowls, with all the firing on their side, 
as was sometimes the case during the war. 

The casualties were very slight. After engaging 
for three hours, and setting some buildings on fire, the 
ships drew out of action. 

It was clearly perceived that the fleet alone could 
not take the place. Bomarsund, indeed, might well 
be considered the Sebastopol of the Baltic ; its evident 
object being to overawe the neighbouring kingdoms of 
Sweden and Denmark. Its destruction, therefore, was 
of the greatest importance. The allied fleet lay at 
anchor at Ledsund, about eighteen miles from Bomar- 
sund, anxiously waiting for the arrival of the French 
troops promised for the service. 

It was not, however, till the end of July that the first 
division reached Ledsund, brought in British ships- 
of-war. They were under the command of General 
Baraguay D'Hilliers. On the 5th of August the siege- 
artillery arrived, and on the 8th more troops and 
marines were landed. The fortifications of Bomarsund 
lie on the eastern point of the largest of the Aland 
Islands. The principal fortress commands a semicir- 
cular bay to the south, with intricate passages leading 
to it. At the northern side of the fort the land rises 
considerably ; and the defence on that part consisted of 
three round towers, one on the highest ground to the 
west, a second in the centre, and a third to the east. 
On the 8th of August, 11,000 men were landed on the 



90 BOMARSUND. 

north side of the island, in the short space of three 
hours, after the ' Aruphion,' ' Phlegethon,' and ' Edin- 
burgh' had blown a fort to atoms, and cleared the 
ground with their fire. The army then marched across 
the island, and encamped against the western fort. 
The English and French marines, with some seamen, 
were landed. 

Batteries were immediately thrown up round the 
fortress, while thirteen ships of the allied fleet attacked 
from the sea. The towers were taken in succession, 
and the large circular fort, mounting nearly 100 guns, 
surrendered, with a garrison of 2000 men, soon after 
the effect of the fire from the ships had been felt. The 
effect of the shot on the fort is thus described by an 
eye-witness : — 

" Three or four shots set the big stones visibly 
chattering, as I could mark by a pocket-telescope. 
One block then fell out, then another, then a third, 
fourth, etc. etc. ; and these were followed by an ava- 
lanche of loose rubbish, just as you see a load of gravel 
pour out from the end of a cart when the backboard 
is removed." From this it was argued that the forti- 
fications of Sebastopol would be as easily knocked to 
pieces ; but experience showed that there was a vast 
difference in the two works. Bomarsund was some- 
what of contract work. The sea towers of Sebastopol 
were as strong as hewn stone scientifically put together 
could make them. 

Sir Charles Napier in his despatch speaks highly of 
the way in which one of the batteries on shore was 
worked by the officers and men under command of 
Captain Ramsay of the 'Hogue,' assisted by Com- 
mander Preedy and Lieutenant Somerset. 



COMMANDER BYTHESEA. 01 

The navy lost only one man killed, and one wounded. 
A number of brave and clashing acts were performed 
by naval men during the operations of the fleet in the 
Baltic. Among others, an act of Lieutenant Charles 
D. Lucas, then a mate of the ; Hecla,' is conspicuous. 
During the first attack on the batteries at Bomarsund, 
a live shell was thrown on board the 6 Hecla,' with the 
fuse still burning. With the greatest presence of mind 
and coolness, Mr Lucas lifted it in his hands, and hove 
it overboard before it had time to explode. 



COMMANDER BYTHESEA. 

While Captain Yelverton's squadron was off the island 
of Wardo, information was received that an aide-de- 
camp of the Emperor of Russia was about to land 
in charge of a mail and despatches for the Russian 
General. As there could be little doubt that these 
despatches would contain important information for the 
guidance of the Allies, it was important to secure them. 
It occurred to Commander Bythesea that he could 
render this service to his country. He accordingly 
offered his services, and obtained permission for himself 
and William Johnstone, a brave fellow, a stoker, to 
proceed on shore for the purpose of intercepting them. 
Having armed and disguised themselves, they went on 
shore, leaving the boat at some distance ; and having 
ascertained the spot where the mail-bags would be 
landed, they went and concealed themselves in some 
bushes in the neighbourhood. At length, after it was 
dark, on the night of the 12th of August, their anxiety 
was relieved by the arrival of the Russian officer and 
the mails, but they were accompanied by an escort of 



92 THE ' ARROGANT' S ' ATTACK ON VIBORG. 

soldiers. It would have been madness to attack so 
large a body, and there appeared no prospect of carry- 
ing out their bold attempt. Great was their satisfac- 
tion, however, to see the soldiers, believing that the 
coast was clear, take their departure. The officer and 
four men, however, still remained. The odds against 
them would have been great, had the men not been 
loaded with the bags. As soon as the soldiers were 
out of hearing, the gallant Commander and his fellow 
sprang from their concealment, attacked the five men, 
two of whom fled; but they secured the bags and 
collared three, whom they dragged off as prisoners to 
their boat, in which they conveyed them on board the 
c Arrogant.' The despatches were carried to General 
Baraguay D'Hilliers, who expressed high admiration 
at the bravery and dash of the exploit. Both Com- 
mander Bythesea and William Johnstone obtained the 
Victoria Cross. 



THE ' ARROGANT's ' ATTACK ON VIBORG. 
13th July 1855. 

The ' Arrogant,' Captain Telverton, having been joined 
by the 4 Magicienne,' Captain Yansittart, proceeded 
with the ' Ruby ' gunboat along the coast to Kounda 
Bay, where a large body of Cossack troops were en- 
camped. The 'Ruby' and the boats of the two ships 
stood in, and dislodged the enemy with shells and 
rockets. In spite of a fire kept up on them from 
behind hedges, they landed ; but finding that the place 
contained only private property, it was not injured. 

Next morning, Captain Yelverton, having driven 
some soldiers from a station at the mouth of the Port- 



THE ' ARROGANT's ATTACK ON YIBORG. 93 

soiki river, and destroyed some barracks and stores, 
proceeded off Viborg. Here the ships anchored as 
close as they could get to the Island of Stralsund. An 
expedition was at once formed to look into Viborg. 
It consisted of the ' Ruby,' commanded by Mr Hale, 
mate, and the boats of the 6 Arrogant,' commanded by 
Lieutenants Haggard and Woolcombe, and those of the 
' Magicienne,' under the command of Lieutenants King 
and Loady, Captains Yelverton and Vansittart, with 
Captain Lowdes, R.M., in command of a strong detach- 
ment of marines, going on board the 'Ruby?' which 
steamer towed the boats. The expedition having 
opened the bay of Trangsund, a Russian man-of-war 
steamer, with two large gunboats in tow, was seen not 
far off. This novel and unexpected sight of a Russian 
man-of-war for once clear of a stone wall, and to all 
appearance prepared for a fair and honest fight, 
created the greatest enthusiasm among men and officers. 
The ' Ruby' at once opened fire on her, and compelled 
her to retire out of range, with some damage. The 
entrance of the Sound being reached, Yiborg was now 
in sight, and there was a fair prospect of attacking 
three large gunboats lying with another steamer under 
an island about a mile off, when suddenly an impene- 
trable barrier was found to have been thrown across 
the passage. At the ~;ame moment, at about 350 yards 
off, a masked battery on the left opened on the ' Ruby' 
and boats, which they, however, kept in check by an 
ably directed return-fire. 

The enemy's steamer and gunboats now approached 
from under the island, and opened fire on the expedi- 
tion. As it was impossible to get the 'Ruby' through 
the barrier, Captain Yelverton ordered her other boats 



9 i THE i ARROGANT^ ' ATTACK ON VIBORG. 

to return towards Stralsund — the enemy's riflemen, 
who followed along the banks, being kept off by their 
fire. Unhappily, an explosion took place on board the 
' ArrogantV second cutter, by which the midshipman 
commanding her, Mr Storey, was killed, and the boat 
was swamped. In this condition the boat drifted under 
the enemy's battery, when a hot fire was poured into 
her. All probably would have been killed or taken 
prisoners, had not George Ingouville, captain of the 
mast, and one of her crew, though already wounded, 
of his own accord jumped overboard, and taking the 
painter in hand, towed her off the shore. Probably 
his gallant conduct might not have availed to save the 
lives of his shipmates, many of whom were by this 
time wounded, had not the condition of the cutter been 
perceived from the 'Ruby.' On this, Lieutenant 
George Dare Dowell, R.M.A., of the ' Magicienne,' 
calling out for a volunteer crew, jumped into the 
'Ruby's' gig, where he was joined by Lieutenant 
Haggard, of the ' Arrogant,' and together they pulled 
off under a fire which grew hotter and hotter, to the 
rescue of the boat and men. Lieutenant Dowell was 
waiting at the moment on board the ' Ruby,' while his 
own boat was receiving a supply of rockets. Taking 
the stroke oar, he and his three companions pulled on, 
in spite of the shower of grape and musketry which the 
Russians poured on them to prevent them from accom- 
plishing their object. They succeeded, in spite of this, 
in taking in three of the cutter's crew, and were mainly 
instrumental in keeping the boat afloat, and bringing her 
off to the 'Ruby.' Two were killed and ten wounded 
during the whole affair. Captain Yelverton speaks 
highly of the conduct of all the officers engaged, where 



THE L ARROGANT'S ' ATTACK ON VIBORG. 95 

their cool and determined courage enabled them to 
handle most severely, and to keep in check for upwards 
of an hour, a far superior force of the enemy. These 
were perhaps the most creditable acts of individual 
gallantry performed at this time in the Baltic. Both 
Lieutenant Dowell and George Ingouville received the 
Victoria Cross. 

It would be scarcely interesting or useful to describe 
the numberless performances of the boats of the fleets 
in destroying barracks, stores, and shipping. 

It was a stern though painful necessity which de- 
manded this mode of proceeding. The object was to 
show the enemy the power of the Allies to injure them, 
and to make them earnestly desire peace at every cost. 
In no instance was private property on shore inten- 
tionally injured. 

The shipping, however, did not escape; and in the 
two nights of the 23d and 24th of July, the boats of 
the ' Harrier,' Captain Storey, destroyed in the harbour 
of ISTystad forty-seven vessels, amounting to nearly 
20,000 tons. 

On the 6th July, the first shot was fired at Cron- 
stadt, from a gun slung on board a timber barge, by 
Captain Boyd. 

The Russians, in return, endeavoured to injure the 
vessels of the Allies, and to protect their shores by the 
employment of infernal machines, which exploded under 
water. Some were fired by voltaic batteries, but in- 
variably-failed of going off at the proper time. Others 
exploded on being struck; but though the 'Merlin' 
ran on one which went off under her bottom, com- 
paratively slight damage w T as done her. The articles 
in her store-room, directly over the spot where the 



96 BOMBARDMENT OF SVEABORG. 

machine struck her, were thrown about in every direc- 
tion, showing the force of the concussion. Admiral 
Dundas and several officers with him had, however, a 
narrow escape, one of the machines exploding while 
they stood around it examining its structure. 



BOMBAIIDMENT OF SVEABORG. 

Among the more important performances of the allied 
fleet in the Baltic, was the severe injury inflicted on 
the fortress of Sveaborg, one of the strongest belong- 
ing to Russia, to keep her neighbours in awe in that 
part of the world. 

The fortress of Sveaborg is built on a granite island 
about a mile in advance of Helsingfors, the Russian 
capital of Finland. There are eight island rocks con- 
nected by strong fortifications, and in the centre is 
situated the fort in which the Russian flotilla was con- 
gregated. It was looked upon as the Gibraltar of the 
north, and had been considerably strengthened since 
the commencement of the war. The citadel of this 
water-surrounded fortress is called Wargon. The 
allied fleet, consisting of seventeen British men-of-war, 
fifteen gunboats, and sixteen mortar-vessels, with two 
French men-of-war, six gunboats, and five mortar- 
vessels, left Nargen on the 6th of August, and anchored 
the same night among the islands about five miles from 
Sveaborg. During the night and next day, some bat- 
teries were thrown up on the neighbouring islands ; and 
early on the morning of the 9 th, the squadron, having 
taken up their positions, several behind the islands, 
where the enemy's guns could not reach them, the 
bombardment commenced. The showers of shot and 



THE WHITE SEA SQUADRON. 97 

shell told with terrific effect on the devoted fortress ; 
powder-magazines and stores of projectiles one after 
the other blew up, and fires broke out in various direc- 
tions, which all the efforts of the garrison could not 
extinguish, and in a short time the whole of the arsenal 
was reduced to ashes. Still the mortars continued to 
play, to prevent the fires which were blazing up around 
from being extinguished. Very few men were wounded, 
and none were killed during the whole of the opera- 
tion. Although the naval and military stores were 
destroyed, the fortress still remained intact. The Rus- 
sians, however, had been taught the lesson that it would 
be better for them in future not to make aggressions 
on their neighbours, or to venture hastily into war. 

Captains Yelverton and Yansittart had already shown 
them how little they could rely on their boasted forti- 
fications, by destroying all between Yiborg and Hel- 
singfors, Fredericksham, Kotka, and Swartholme. 



THE WHITE SEA SQUADRON. 

A small squadron, consisting of the 'Eurydice,' twenty- 
six guns, 'Miranda,' fifteen, and 'Brisk,' fourteen, had 
been sent in July 1854 into the White Sea, to destroy 
the Russian shipping and forts on the coasts of Russian 
Lapland. On the 23d of July, the town of Novitska was 
attacked and burned by the 'Miranda' and 'Brisk.' 
On the 23d August, the 'Miranda' anchored off Kola, 
the capital of Russian Lapland. A flag of truce was 
sent on shore, demanding the surrender of the fort, 
garrison, and government property. All night the 
crew remained at their quarters, and no answer being 

a 



98 l FIREBRAND ' AND i VESUVIUS ' IN THE DANUBE. 

returned in the morning, the flag of truce was hauled 
down, and the ship getting within 250 yards of the 
battery, opened a fire of grape and canister. A party 
was then landed under command of Lieutenant J. Mac- 
kenzie and Mr Manthorpe, mate, who, at the head of 
a party of blue-jackets and marines, rushed up, sword 
in hand, to dislodge the enemy from the batteries, and 
to capture the guns. A hot fire was opened on them 
from the towers of a monastery ; but they soon drove 
out the garrison, who took to flight, and it, with all 
the government stores and buildings, was immediately 
set on fire and completely consumed. Kola lies thirty 
miles up a river, of most difficult navigation, with a 
strong current, and often so narrow that there was 
scarcely room for the ship to swing. Captain Lyons 
also had a very uncertain knowledge of the strength of 
the enemy ; but nothing could check his determination, 
and it was, as we have seen, rewarded with complete 
success. Taking into consideration the difficulties to 
be encountered, it was one of the most daring naval 
exploits performed in the north. The 'Miranda,' at 
the approach of autumn, returned to England, and from 
thence went out to join the fleet in the Black Sea. 



'FIREBRAND' AND 'VESUVIUS' IN THE DANUBE. 

June and July 1854. 

The blockade of Sebastopol having been established, 
some of the lighter cruisers were sent along the coast 
on various detached enterprises, for the purpose of 
annoying and misleading the Russians, and effecting 
the destruction of government property. 



; FIREBRAND ' AND l VESUVIUS ' IN THE DANUBE. 99 

Among the most enterprising officers was Captain 
Hyde \ Parker, one of a family long known in naval 
history. He commanded the 'Firebrand,' and had 
with him the ' Vesuvius,' Captain Powell. 

It having been arranged that they should destroy 
the guardhouses and signal-stations on the banks of 
the Danube, which kept up the communication with 
the Russian forts, on the morning of the 22d June, 
the boats of the two steamers, manned and armed, 
with a Turkish gunboat, all under the command of 
Lieutenant Jones, of the 'Firebrand,' pulled off to- 
wards a guardhouse and signal-station about twenty 
miles north of Sulineh. As they approached, the signal 
was made from station to station, summoning aid. 
Behind some banks, close to the beach, were posted 
bodies of Cossack cavalry, while others were scattered 
about wherever they could find shelter from the shells 
and shot fired from the boats and ships' guns. They 
however could not stand this long, and fled in con- 
fusion. 

On the boats reaching the shore, the seamen and 
marines landed, and forming on the beach, advanced 
in skirmishing order towards the Cossacks, who, 
mounting their horses, fled in all directions. The 
guardhouses were immediately burnt, the signal-staff 
destroyed, and the men returned to their ships in ad- 
mirable order. Several other stations were destroyed 
on that and the following days ; and on one occasion, 
on the night of the 27th June, Captain Parker sur- 
prised the garrison of Sulineh, whom he put to flight, 
after capturing the officer in command, and others. 
The officer was forwarded to Lord Raglan, who ob- 
tained some important information from him. 



100 ' FIREBRAND ' AND ' VESUVIUS ' IN THE DANUBE. 

The ' Firebrand ' 'and ' Vesuvius ' now kept up a 
strict blockade of the Danube, and the crews were 
allowed to land without opposition ; but at length 
Captain Parker suspected that the gabion battery 
attached to the quarantine ground was occupied, and, 
for the purpose of examining it, entered the river on 
the 6th with the boats of the two ships. Nothing was 
discovered until Captain Parker's galley arrived opposite 
the gabion battery, when a single rifle-shot was fired, 
which passed through the boat, and this was followed by 
a volley, piercing the boat, grazing the captain's elbow, 
and severely wounding one man. Captain Parker on 
this ordered the boat to pull round, and as she retreated, 
with the greatest coolness he discharged his rifle at the 
enemy, who were now pouring in a galling and heavy 
fire on all the boats. The pinnace, being in advance, 
was especially exposed, and unhappily grounded within 
fifty yards of the battery. 

On seeing this, Captain Parker leaped on shore from 
his galley, exclaiming, "We must storm — follow me, 
my men !" and gallantly rushed forward, followed by 
all who had then come up. Parallel with the river, 
and at about fifteen yards from it, ran a line of high 
canes growing in the marsh. He advanced along this, 
and having fired and knocked down a Cossack, he was 
reloading, when a volley of bullets came flying round 
him, one of which pierced his heart, and he fell dead 
into the arms of his coxswain, — Mr Everard, a naval 
cadet, being at the moment by his side. 

Commander Powell, who succeeded to the command, 
ordered a heavy fire of shell and Congreve rockets to 
be opened on the battery ; under cover of which the 
marines and seamen stormed the place, and drove out 



BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOPOL. 101 

the Russians, who took shelter in a marsh where they 
could not be followed. 

Captain Parker was a most gallant officer, and his 
loss caused deep regret among all his brother-officers. 

On the 13th, the * Spitfire/ Lieutenant Johnstone, 
towing the boats of the ' Vesuvius,' crossed the bar at 
the Sulineh mouth of the Danube, and having driven 
off the enemy, the marines and blue-jackets landed, and 
totally destroyed the town of Sulineh, by setting it on 
fire in every direction. 



. BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOPOL. 
17th October 1854. 

We have now to give an account of the chief naval 
exploits of the war, when the wooden walls of Old 
England were to try their strength with the stone ram- 
parts of Russia. While the heavy artillery of the Allies 
opened fire on the city from the newly-erected batteries 
on the neighbouring heights, it was arranged that the 
fleets should attack from the sea. The fleet was to 
form a semicircle before the harbour'smouth ; the 
French to engage the forts on the south, the English 
the forts Constantine and Alexander, and the Stone and 
Wasp forts on the north. The morning was actively 
spent by the crews in preparing for action. 

At fifty minutes past ten the signal for weighing was 
made, and the fleet, the fine old ' Agamemnon ' leading, 
stood towards the batteries. She was followed in order 
by the ' Sanspareil/ screw, the sailing ships being moved 
by steamers lashed alongside : — ' Albion,' by .' Fire- 
brand ;' ' Queen/ by ' Vesuvius ;' ' Britannia/ by ' Furi- 



102 BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOPOL. 

i 

ous;' ' Trafalgar/ by 'Retribution;' ' London/ by 
'Niger;' ' Yengeance/ by ' Highflyer ;' 'Rodney,' by 
'Spiteful;' ' Bellerophon,' by 'Cyclops;' ' Arethusa/ 
by 'Triton;' while 'Samson/ 'Tribune/ 'Terrible/ 
'Sphinx/ 'Lynx/ and 'Spitfire' acted as look-out 
ships, and were allowed to take up independent posi- 
tions. Besides the stone fortifications, the enemy had 
thrown up numerous earthworks, and placed guns along 
the cliff to the north. To one of these forts the sea- 
men gave the name of the Wasp ; to another, the 
Telegraph battery. 

The French weighed first a little before ten, and 
proceeded to their position on the south of the line, 
when the enemy opened fire on them. The Turks took 
up a position in the centre ; and now the magnificent 
' Agamemnon' steamed on, with the gallant little ' Cir- 
cassian/ commanded by the brave Mr Ball, piloting 
the way, sounding as he went, and marking the posi- 
tion the larger ships were to take up. 

At half-past one the ' Agamemnon' began to draw 
in close with the land, when, to try range, she opened 
fire from her large pivot-gun on the Wasp battery, 
which instantly returned it ; and in a short time Fort 
Constantine commenced firing with terrible effect, the 
' Agamemnon' suffering fearfully. 

At two p.m. she anchored, head and stern, in quarter 
less five fathoms, 750 yards off Fort Constantine, on 
which she immediately opened her fresh broadside. At 
five minutes past two the ' SanspareiP and 'London' 
anchored astern, and ably seconded the gallant Sir 
Edmund by the fire which they poured into the Star 
fort, and the smaller forts on the cliff. At twenty 
minutes past two the ' Albion' anchored and engaged 



BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOPOL. 103 

the Wasp, to take off the fire from the 'Agamemnon,' 
which, from her position, exposed to a cross fire, was 
suffering more than the other ships. The ' Britannia/ 
now in fifteen fathoms water, and some two thou- 
sand yards off, opened fire, and the action became 
general. 

The commander of the detached steamers determined 
that they also should play their part. The ' Terrible ' 
and \ Samson ' dashed on inside the other ships, and 
engaged the northern forts in the most gallant manner. 
Nothing could exceed the steady way in which the 
'Vesuvius' carried up her huge consort into action, 
nor the spirited manner in which the ' Albion' engaged 
Fort Constantine. The * Arethusa' — a name long 
known to fame — urged on by the little i Triton,' well 
preserved the renown her name has gained, by boldly 
engaging the huge stone fort, at which, in rapid suc- 
cession, broadside after broadside was discharged, the 
crew of the ' Triton' coming on board to assist in man- 
ning her guns. At length, with her rigging cut to 
pieces, and numerous shot-holes in her hull, and eighteen 
killed and wounded, and five wounded belonging to the 
' Triton,' she was towed out of action. 

The 'Albion,' though farther out than the 'Aga- 
memnon,' was in reality suffering far more than that 
ship, and she at length was compelled to haul off, with 
one lieutenant and nine men killed, and three other 
officers and sixty-eight men wounded. The ' London' 
also, with four killed and eighteen wounded, was at the 
same time taken out of action. All this time the gal- 
lant Sir Edmund Lyons refused to move ; indeed, his 
ship was suffering more aloft than in her hull, and, 
notwithstanding the tremendous fire to which she had 



104 BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOPOL. 

been exposed, she had only four killed and twenty - 
five wounded. This was owing to the Vice-Admiral's 
bravery in going so close ; the majority of the shot, 
flying high, struck her rigging instead of her hull. Still 
she was struck 240 times, and became almost a wreck ; 
her hull showing gaping wounds, her main-yard cut in 
two places, every spar more or less damaged, two shot- 
holes in the head of the mainmast, and her rigging 
hanging in shreds ; the ship also having twice caught 
fire- — once when a shell fell in her main-top and set fire 
to the main-sail, and another having burst in the port 
side, and set fire to the hammock-nettings. The ' Rod- 
ney,' however, suffered still more in masts and rigging, 
she having tailed on the reef, whence she was got off 
by the gallant exertions of Commander Kynaston, of 
the 'Spiteful.' The ' Albion' and ' Arethusa' suffered 
greatly in their hulls. 

At length one ship after another had drawn off ; and 
the fire of the forts being concentrated on the ' Aga- 
memnon,' Sir Edmund despatched one of his lieutenants 
in a boat, to summon the ' Bellerophon' to his aid. The 
appeal was nobly and immediately answered, and she 
contributed greatly to take off the fire which the Wasp 
and Telegraph batteries were showering on her. As 
the ' Agamemnon' was the first to go into battle, so 
she was one of the last to haul out of the engagement, 
which she did soon after six p.m., and not till darkness 
had compelled the combatants on shore to cease from 
fighting. The action lasted altogether from half-past 
one to half-past six; the loss being 44 killed and 266 
wounded : of these, only two officers, Lieutenant Chase, 
' Albion/ and Mr C. Madden, ' Sanspareil,' were killed. 
Commander Kynaston ; Lieutenant Purvis, Mr Baillie, 



BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOFOL. 105 

midshipman, Captain Stewart, 'Firebrand;' Lieuten- 
ants Anderson and Ball, and Mr C. Parkinson, i Sans- 
pareil;' Mr Paul, master, Mr Thorn, paymaster, and 
Mr Mason, surgeon, i Albion;' Lieutenant Stephens, 
'London;' Lieutenant Yaughan, 'Britannia;' Lieu- 
tenant Gaussen and Mr Yonge, naval cadet, ' Aga- 
memnon;' Mr Foster, midshipman, ■ Bellerophon,' 
wounded. 

A naval brigade had at this time been formed, and 
a considerable number of officers and men belonging to 
the different ships were consequently serving on shore. 
Owing to this circumstance, probably, the casualties 
were lessened. The Admiral had also left all the spare 
top-masts and spars on board the 'Yulcan,' with the 
sick and prisoners, at the anchorage off the Katscha ; 
so that the ships were soon able to repair the damages 
they had received aloft. No sooner had the fleet once 
more anchored in safety, than the captains went on 
board the ' Agamemnon,' to pay their respects to Sir 
Edmund Lyons, as did the French on the following 
day ; all declaring that his ship had held the post of 
honour. Still, many other ships were not behind his in 
the gallant way in which they were fought. 

The French ships were also fought with great 
courage and judgment, and suffered even more than 
the English. The Turks, from being much farther 
out, escaped with slight damage. 

The result of the action, bravely as it had been 
fought, was not satisfactory. It was a trial of strength 
between stone and wood, and the stone was near the 
victor. Probably a considerable number of Russians 
were killed and wounded, and it served as a diversion 
to the land attack ; but next day, not a gun frowned 



106 CRIMEAN NAVAL BRIGADE. 

the less from the batteries of Fort Constantine, and but 
a trifling damage was done to the stone-work. 

However, the diversions caused by these attacks 
from the sea were of much consequence ; and on other 
occasions the smaller steamers, gun and rocket-boats, 
were sent off the mouth of the harbour during the night 
to distract the attention of the Russians. 

On one of these occasions, Captain Lyons, of the 
' Miranda,' the gallant son of the Admiral, was 
severely wounded in the leg by a round-shot, and was 
sent in consequence to Eupatoria. Here, unhappily, 
in a few days he sunk under a fever brought on by his 
wound. 



CRIMEAN NAVAL BRIGADE. 

Soon after the army reached Balaclava, portions of the 
crews of most of the larger ships had been sent on 
shore, at first simply to assist in garrisoning the heights 
above Balaclava, and placed under the command of 
Captain Lushington. The brigade was soon after- 
wards increased by a party under Lord John Hay, of 
the 'Wasp.' Both officers and men, however, very 
soon volunteered for other services, and in every post 
of danger there was some portion of the Naval Brigade 
to be found. It was here that Captain William Peel 
first showed the gallantry and judgment for which he 
became so conspicuous. He took command of one of 
the advanced batteries before Sebastopol, which did 
good service. During the first six days of the bom- 
bardment, ending October 22d, the Naval Brigade 
lost twelve killed and sixty-six wounded. Among 



CRIMEAN NAVAL BRIGADE. 107 

the killed was Lieutenant Greathed, ' Britannia ;' and 
among the wounded, Captain Moorsoni, ' Firebrand ;' 
Lieutenant Norman, Mr E. Bullock and Mr S. Bullock, 
mates of the ' Trafalgar ;' Mr Lyons, mate, ' Ven- 
geance ;' and Lieutenant Mitchell, ' Diamond/ 

From the first, the conduct of all the men, though 
placed in a novel situation, was excellent ; and the gal- 
lantry of officers and men conspicuous. From being 
near Balaclava, and from being supplied with tents 
and clothing and food from their ships, they had not 
the same dreadful hardships to endure as the soldiers ; 
they yet sought out danger, and as readily exposed 
their lives on shore as they are accustomed to do at sea. 

Among all the acts exhibiting gallantry, coolness, 
and judgment, one performed by Mr N. W. Hewett, 
then acting-mate of H.M.S. ' Beagle/ stands conspi- 
cuous. 

On the 26th of October 1854, the day after the 
battle of Balaclava, he was in charge of the right Lan- 
caster battery before Sebastopol, with a party of blue- 
jackets under him, when the Russians made a desperate 
sortie from the walls against Sir de Lacy Evans' 
division. The advance of the Russians placed the gun 
in great jeopardy, and their assault was so vigorous 
that their skirmishers had got within 300 yards of the 
battery, and were pouring in a sharp fire from their 
Minie rifles. By some misapprehension, the word was 
passed to spike the gun and retreat ; but Mr Hewett, 
taking upon himself to disregard what he heard, 
answered, " That order did not come from Captain 
Lushington, and till he directs us to desert the gun 
we'll not move." This proceeding was hazardous, for 
at the time the gun was in an ineffectual position in 



108 CAFTA1N WILLIAM PEEL. 

consequence of the enemy advancing on its flank. 
With the assistance, however, of the seamen with him, 
and of some soldiers who came to his aid, he got 
round the gun into position, then blowing away the 
parapet of the battery, he opened on the advancing 
column of the Russians so effective a fire, that they 
were completely staggered, and their progress was 
stopped. Seconded by his companions, whom his spirit 
animated, again and again he discharged his death - 
dealing gun, till the enemy gave way and retreated. 

A story is current that he actually did receive an 
order to abandon the gun, and that afterwards, while 
he was reflecting what might be the consequences of 
having disobeyed it, his commanding officer inquired, 
" Mr Hewett, were you not ordered to spike that gun 
and retreat ■?" " I was, sir." " And you chose to dis- 
regard the order, and fight the gun ?" " I did, sir ; but 
I am sorry if — " u Well — then — you are promoted." 
Sir Stephen Lushington brought Mr Hewett's con- 
duct before the Commander-in-Chief, and he received 
from the Admiralty the reward of his lieutenancy which 
he so well merited. At the battle of Inkerman his 
bravery was again conspicuous, and he was soon after- 
wards appointed to the command of the 'Beagle' gun- 
boat in the Sea of Azov. 



CAPTAIN WILLIAM PEEL, R.N., H.M.S. 'lEANDER.' 

The example set by Captain Peel was sufficient to 
animate all young officers to deeds of daring. While 
commanding a battery before Sebastopol, on the 18th 
October, a live shell fell, with the fuse burning, among 



EDWARD ST JOHN DANIELS. 109 

several powder-cases outside the magazine. Had it 
exploded, it probably would have blown up the maga- 
zine, and killed all around.. The moment it fell, he 
seized it and threw it over the parapet, it bursting as 
it left his hands. 

On the 5th November 1854, at the battle of Inker- 
man, he joined the officers of the Grenadier Guards, 
and assisted in defending the colours of that regiment, 
when hard pressed at the Sandbag battery. 

On the 18th June 1855, Captain Peel volunteered 
to lead the ladder party at the assault on the Redan, 
and he carried the first ladder till he received a severe 
wound on the glacis. 



EDWARD ST JOHN DANIELS. 

This young officer, a midshipman of Captain Peel's 
ship, took example from the conduct of his noble chief, 
and vied with him in feats of daring. In Captain 
Peel's battery there was a call for volunteers to bring 
in powder to the battery from a waggon in a very 
exposed situation, a shot having disabled the horses. 
Instantly Mr Daniels sprang forward, and, followed by 
others, performed the dangerous service. At the battle 
of Inkerman he followed his captain as his aide-de-camp 
through the terrific fire of that eventful day. Again, 
on the 18th of June, he accompanied Captain Peel 
when he led the ladder party in the assault on the 
Redan. Together they approached the deadly breach, 
when Captain Peel was struck in the arm, and might 
have bled to death, had not young Daniels remained 
by him on the glacis under a terrific fire, and with 
admirable devotion and perfect coolness applied a 



110 COMMANDER ROBY. 

tourniquet to his arm, not leaving him till he was able 
to regain a less exposed position. 



BRAVERY OF FIVE SEAMEN AT INKERMAN. 

During the battle of Inkerman, while the right Lan- 
caster battery was fiercely attacked by the Russians, 
five gallant blue-jackets, picking up the muskets of the 
disabled soldiers, mounted the banquette, and under a 
fierce fire kept rapidly discharging them, while their 
comrades below loaded and handed them up others as 
fast as they could, contributing much to keep the 
enemy at bay. Two were killed or died from their 
wounds; but the three survivors, Thomas Reeve, James 
Gorman, and Mark Scholefield, obtained the Victoria 
Cross. 



COMMANDER ROBY. 



John Taylor, captain of the forecastle, and Henry 
Curtis, boatswain's mate, were in the advance sap 
opposite the Redan on June 18th, 1855, immediately 
after the assault on Sebastopol, when they observed 
a soldier of the 57th regiment, who had been shot 
through both legs, sitting up, and calling for help. 
Lieutenant D'Aeth, of H.M.S. ' Siddon,' was also of 
the party, but died of cholera soon after. The brave 
seamen could not bear to see their poor countryman 
thus perishing, and, though the Redan was still keeping 
up a tremendous fire, climbing over the breastwork of 
the sap, Captain Roby and the two seamen proceeded 
upwards of seventy yards across the open space towards 



DASHING SERVICE OF JOHN SHEPHERD. 11 1 

the salient angle of the Redan, and at the great risk of 
their own lives lifted up the wounded soldier, and bore 
him to a place of safety. 

John Sullivan, boatswain's mate, while serving in 
an advanced battery on the 10th of April 1855, showed 
the most perfect coolness and bravery by going forward 
and placing a flag on a mound in an exposed situation, 
under a heavy fire, to enable another battery, No. 5, 
to open fire on a concealed Russian battery, which was 
doing great execution on the British advanced works. 
Commander Kennedy, commanding the battery, spoke 
in the highest terms of Sullivan's bravery on that and on 
other occasions, and recommended him for promotion. 



DASHING SERVICE OF JOHN SHEPHERD, BOATSWAIN. 

While he was boatswain's mate of the 'St Jean 
D'Acre,' and serving in the Naval Brigade, he volun- 
teered to proceed in a punt, during a dark night, into 
the harbour of Sebastopol, and to endeavour, with an 
apparatus he carried, to blow up one of the Russian 
line-of-battle ships. He reached the harbour, and had 
got past the enemy's steam-boat, at the entrance of 
Careening Bay, when he was prevented from proceeding 
farther by a long line of boats, which were carrying 
troops from the south to the north side of Sebastopol. 
On the 16th of August, he again made the attempt 
from the side of Careening Bay, then in possession of 
the French. 



The above are only some few of the gallant deeds 



112 GALLANTDEEDS BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, 

done by the officers and men of the Naval Brigade 
before Sebastopol. All, from Sir Stephen Lushington 
downwards to the youngest midshipman or shipboy, 
did their duty right nobly; and, though the blue- 
jackets of England have no cause to complain that their 
gallantry is not sufficiently appreciated, perhaps on 
this occasion the service they rendered to their country 
is scarcely understood as it should be. On that disas- 
trous assault on the Redan, 18th June 1855, which 
has already been described, the Naval Brigade con- 
sisted of four parties of sixty men each, one for each 
column — but two only went out, the other two being 
kept in reserve. They were told off to carry scaling- 
ladders and wool-bags, and to place them for the 
storming parties. They were led by Captain Peel. 
Severely they suffered. Out of the two small parties 
fourteen were killed and forty-seven were wounded. 

When the soldiers, overwhelmed by the terrific fire 
of the batteries, retreated towards the trenches, several 
officers and men were left behind wounded, and endured 
fearful agonies for hours, without a drop of water or a 
cheering voice to comfort them. Among others, Lieu- 
tenant Ermiston lay for five hours under the abattis of 
the Redan, and was reported dead, but he had only a 
contusion of the knee, and, watching his opportunity, 
he got safely away. 

Mr Kennedy, mate of the 'London,' was also left 
behind close to the abattis, and after several hours of 
painful suspense, concealed among the dead, he rolled 
himself over and over down the declivity, and managed 
to get into the trench. 

Lieutenant Kidd came in all safe, and was receiving 
the congratulations of a brother-officer, when he saw a 



GALLANT DEEDS BEFORE SEBASTOFOL. 113 

wounded soldier lying out in the open. He at once 
exclaimed, "We must go and save him!" and leaped 
over the parapet in order to do so. He had scarcely 
proceeded one yard on his errand of mercy, when he 
was shot through the breast, and died an hour after- 
wards. 

Lieutenant Dalyell, of the ' Leander,' had his left 
arm shattered by a grape-shot, and underwent am- 
putation. 

Lieutenant Cave and Mr Wood, midshipman, were 
also wounded ; as was Captain Peel, as has been de- 
scribed. Indeed, of the whole detachment only three 
officers came out of action untouched. 

Not only were the subordinate officers of the navy 
thus conspicuously brave and active, but a sailor was 
from the first one of the ruling spirits of the campaign. 
To Sir Edmund Lyons does England owe, in an incal- 
culable degree, the success which attended our arms 
on the shores of the Euxine. 

He it was who organized and conducted the expe- 
dition to the Crimea, prepared the means of landing, 
and superintended all so closely, that " in his eagerness 
he left but six inches between the keel of his noble 
ship and the ground below it." Not only in this matter 
of the transport of the troops, but also in every subse- 
quent stage of the expedition, Sir Edmund Lyons gave 
the most valuable assistance to Lord Raglan and his 
successors. How at the battle of the Alma he sup- 
ported the French army by bringing the guns of his 
ship to bear on the left flank of the Russians, and what 
a conspicuous part he took with the ' Agamemnon ' on 
the first bombardment of Sebastopol, are incidents 
fresh in the recollection of all. But he had more to do 

H 



114 



GALLANT DEEDS BEFORE SEBASTOPOL. 



in the way of advice and of encouragement than the 
public ever heard of. Day after day he might have 
been seen on his grey pony, hovering about the English 
lines on the heights of Sebastopol ; he was present at 
Balaclava, and he was present at Inkerman. It was 
thus that, having conveyed our soldiers to the Crimea, 
he saved them from being compelled to leave it — 
baffled, if not vanquished. A day or two after the 
battle of Balaclava, Sir Edmund Lyons, on landing, 
learnt to his astonishment that orders had been issued 
to the Naval Brigade to embark as many guns as pos- 
sible during the clay, for Balaclava was to be evacu- 
ated at night, — of course, surrendering to the enemy 
the greater portion of the guns. On his own respon- 
sibility the Admiral at once put a stop to the execution 
of this order, and went in search of Lord Raglan, who, 
it appears, had come to the resolution of abandoning 
Balaclava, in consequence of the opinion expressed by 
the engineers, that after the loss of the redoubts in our 
rear, lately held by the Turks, we ought to concentrate 
our strength on the plateau. Taking Lord Raglan 
aside, Sir Edmund Lyons strongly opposed these views : 
he pointed out that the advanced position in the valley 
in front of which these redoubts were situated had 
been originally occupied, in accordance with the advice 
of those very officers, and in opposition to that of Sir 
Edmund, who had suggested at the time that they 
were covering too much ground; he argued that, as 
the engineers had been mistaken once, they might be 
wrong again ; and he clinched his argument by saying 
that, whatever might be the value of his opinion in 
such a case, he was at all events entitled to pro- 
nounce an opinion as to the insufficiency of Kamiesch 



EXPEDITION TO KERTCH. 115 

as a harbour for the allied armies ; that this harbour 
was utterly inadequate ; and that the abandonment of 
Balaclava meant the evacuation of the Crimea in a 
week. After some conversation, Lord Raglan said, 
" Well, you were right before, and this time I will 
act upon your advice." Sir Edmund obtained leave 
to countermand the orders which had been issued ; 
Balaclava was maintained as our base of operations, 
and the army was saved from what might have proved 
an inglorious defeat, if not a terrible disaster. This, 
as we have said, was perhaps the most important of 
all the services rendered by the Admiral, and he well 
deserved the peerage which it earned for him. 

Sir Stephen Lushington, having attained his rank 
as Admiral in July 1855, was succeeded in the com- 
mand of the Naval Brigade by Captain the Honourable 
Henry Keppel, whose gallantry on various occasions 
has been especially conspicuous. At length, on the 
19th September, Sebastopol having fallen, the gallant 
Naval Brigade was disbanded ; the jovial blue-jackets 
leaving Balaclava to return to their ships, amid the en- 
thusiastic cheers of their red-coated comrades, among 
whom but one feeling was universal, that of regret 
at losing the company of so merry a band. Not a 
soldier but admired their bravery, their invariable good 
humour, and marvellous aptitude in adapting themselves 
to whatever circumstances they might fall in with. 



EXPEDITION TO KERTCH. 



The importance of securing the outlet to the Sea of 
Azov had long been seen, and on the 22d May an ex- 



116 EXPEDITION TO KERTCH. 

pedition sailed from Balaclava, under the joint com- 
mand of Sir George Brown and General D'Autemarre, 
for the purpose of capturing the fortresses of Kertch 
and Yenikale, which command the entrance. They 
had under them 15,000 troops and five batteries of 
artillery. Admirals Lyons and Bruat accompanied 
the expedition. While the troops were landed some 
miles to the south of Kertch, the squadron proceeded 
on to attack it in front ; but, before they arrived, the 
Russians, believing that they could not defend the 
place, evacuated it, as did most of the inhabitants. 
Yenikale was deserted in the same manner, and the 
armies and fleets achieved a very bloodless victory, 
while the smaller steamers of the squadron were sent 
off up the Sea of Azov in chase of the Russian men- 
of-war. A light squadron of English and French 
vessels was placed under the command of Captain 
Lyons, of the 'Miranda,' with directions to capture 
and destroy all the ships, magazines, and stores of 
provisions belonging to the enemy. The larger quan- 
tity of provisions for the Russian army in the Crimea 
had hitherto been conveyed across the Sea of Azov. 
In a few days the ' Miranda ' and her consorts de- 
stroyed four months' rations for 100,000 men, and not 
less than 300 Russian vessels. This work was ably 
done, and often individuals even thus had opportunities 
of exhibiting their gallantry. Arriving off Genitchi 
on 29th May 1855 with his little squadron, Captain 
Lyons sent Commander Craufurd with a flag of truce, 
to demand the surrender of a number of vessels which 
were seen, as well as government stores. This demand 
being refused, the squadron opened fire on the town, 
while the boats under the command of Lieutenant 



PROCEEDINGS AT TAGANROG. 1 1 7 

Mackenzie pulled in, and set fire to seventy-three vessels 
and some corn-stores on shore. The wind shifting, 
there seemed a probability that the more distant vessels 
and stores might escape. As the enemy had had time 
to make preparations, another expedition would be, it 
was evident, more dangerous than the first. As, how- 
ever, the vessels were in a favourable position for 
supplying the Russian armies in the Crimea, and their 
destruction was of the greatest importance, Captain 
Lyons despatched the boats, commanded and officered 
as before. Seeing, however, that there would be 
great risk in landing a party in presence of a superior 
force out of gunshot of the ships, Lieutenant Cecil 
Buckley, ■ Miranda,' Lieutenant Hugh Burgoyne, 
' Swallow,' and Mr J. Roberts, gunner of the ' Ardent,' 
volunteered to land alone and fire the stores. While 
these three gallant officers proceeded on their dangerous 
undertaking, Lieutenant Mackenzie pushed on under a 
fire of four field-guns and musketry, and destroyed the 
remaining vessels, the ships resuming their fire on the 
town. The shore party succeeded in reaching the 
stores, to which they effectually set fire. On their re- 
treat to their boat, they were, however, very soon cut 
off by a body of Cossacks who charged down on them. 
Though several shots struck the boats, only one man 
was slightly wounded. 



PROCEEDINGS AT TAGANROG. 
3d June. 

Captain Lyons arrived off this place with a large 
mosquito fleet of steamers, gunboats, and boats from 



118 ' BEAGLE ' OFF GENITCHI. 

the English and French roen-of-war. Taganrog was 
summoned to surrender, but the Governor refused, and 
a brisk fire was opened on the place. In vain the 
enemy endeavoured to get down to the store-houses 
on the beach to protect them. Lieutenant Mackenzie, 
first of the ' Miranda/ had charge of a separate divi- 
sion of light-boats, with rockets and one gun, to cover 
the approach of Lieutenant Cecil Buckley, 'Miranda,' 
who, in a four-oared gig, accompanied by Mr Henry 
Cooper, boatswain, and manned by volunteers, repeat- 
edly landed and fired the different stores and public 
buildings. This dangerous, not to say desperate service, 
when carried out in a town containing upwards of 
3000 troops, constantly endeavouring to prevent it, 
and only checked by the fire of the boats' guns, was 
most effectually performed. 



* BEAGLE ' OFF GENITCHI — GALLANTRY OF S. TREWAYAS, 

SEAMAN. 

The ' Beagle/ to the command of which ship Lieu- 
tenant Hewett had been appointed on the 3d July, 
was off the town of Genitchi, where there was a 
floating bridge which it was most important to de- 
stroy, as it communicated with the town and the Ara- 
bat spit. Mr Hewett accordingly despatched his gig 
under command of Mr Hayles, gunner of the ' Beagle/ 
and paddlebox-boats under Mr Martin Tracy, mid- 
shipman of the ' Vesuvius.' The undertaking was one 
of considerable danger, for troops lined the beach not 
eighty yards off, and the adjacent houses were filled 
with riflemen, all of whom opened a hot fire on the 



BRAVE DEVOTION OF J. KELLAWAY, BOATSWAIN. 119 

boats. The ' Beagle ' opened her fire on them in return, 
and so did Mr Tracy from the paddlebox-boats, causing 
great confusion and dismay in their ranks. However, 
Mr Hayles pulled in. ably seconded by a seaman 
lent from the ' Agamemnon/ Stephen Trewavas, who, 
though already wounded from the fire of the enemy, 
cut the hawsers and cast the boats adrift. Mr Hayles 
was also wounded. Trewavas obtained the Victoria 
Cross for his coolness and determination on this occa- 
sion. 

Captain Sherard Osborne was now senior officer of 
the allied flotilla in the Sea of Azov. 

The squadron continued its course round the coast, 
destroying fisheries, guardhouses, barracks, stores of 
forage and provisions, and vessels wherever they could 
be found. 



BRAVE DEVOTION OF J. KELLAWAY, BOATSWAIN. 

The 'Wrangler,' Commander Burgoyne, came off 
Marioupol, Sea of Azov, where some boats, fishing- 
stations, and hay-stacks were discovered across a small 
lake. On this, Commander Burgoyne despatched Mr 
Odevaine, mate, and Mr Kellaway, boatswain, to 
destroy them. They had nearly reached the spot, 
when they were fired on by a party of Russians, who 
suddenly rushed out from their ambush, and endea- 
voured to cut off their retreat. One seaman fell into 
the enemy's hands, but the rest of the party were 
making good their escape, when Mr Odevaine tripped 
up and fell. Mr Kellaway, believing that his com- 
manding officer was wounded, though at the risk of 



120 LIEUTENANT G. F. DAY AT GENITCHI. 

his own life, ran back to his rescue. While lifting 
him up they were surrounded by the Russians, and 
though the gallant boatswain made a stout resistance, 
they were both made prisoners and carried off. Com- 
mander Burgoyne and the other officers of the ship 
were witnesses of the devoted conduct of Mr Kellaway, 
but were unable to render them assistance. 



LIEUTENANT G. F. DAY AT GENITCHI. 

While Lieutenant Day was in command of the 
4 Recruit ' he performed several very gallant acts, but 
none surpassed the following. 

It was important to ascertain the practicability of 
reaching the enemy's gun-vessels which lay within the 
Straits of Genitchi, close to the town. With this object 
in view, Mr Day, having provided himself with a pocket- 
compass, went on shore one dark but fine night, and 
proceeded through the enemy's lines, traversing a 
distance of four or five miles, occasionally up to his 
knees in water, till he got within 200 yards of the 
vessels. From the perfect silence which reigned on 
board them, he was persuaded that they were without 
crews; and when he returned, it was with the conviction 
that the expedition was a feasible one. The correct- 
ness of this opinion he was induced to donbt on the 
following day, in consequence of the increased activity 
apparent in the direction of the vessels. Notwith- 
standing the danger he must have been aware he was 
running — for it was in attempting a reconnoissance on 
the same ground that Captain L'Allenand, of the French 
steam-vessel ' Monette,' lost his life — he resolved to pay 



COMMANDER COMMERELL AND W. RICKARD, 121 

another visit to the spot. The night was squally, and 
he thought it wiser to take larger circuit than before. 
He persevered, and gained the spot, when he ascertained 
that the vessels were manned, and that their crews were 
apparently on the alert. He decided, consequently, that 
it would be out of the question to make any attempt 
to surprise them. 



COMMANDER J. E. COMMERELL, OF THE ' WESER,' AND 
WILLIAM RICKARD, QUARTERMASTER. 

Captain Commerell having ascertained that large 
quantities of corn-forage were collected on the Crimean 
shore of the Sivash, considered that it was of import- 
ance to destroy them, and determined himself to under- 
take the dangerous task, accompanied by Mr Lillingston, 
mate, William Rickard, quartermaster, and George 
Milestone, A.B., and another man. Having left the 
ship at night-fall, they hauled their small boat across 
the spit of Arabat, and traversed the Sivash to the Cri- 
mean shore of the Putrid Sea. Here Mr Lillingston and 
one man remained in charge of the boat. They had now 
a distance of two miles to proceed to reach the maga- 
zine of corn and forage, amounting to 400 tons, which 
they had devoted to destruction. They had also two 
rivers to ford — the Kara-su and the Salghir — the maga- 
zine being on the banks of the latter stream. Near the 
magazine was a guardhouse, and close to it a village, 
in which twenty or thirty mounted Cossacks were posted. 
Nothing daunted, they pushed on, and having crossed 
the two rivers without being discovered, they set light 
to the stacks. With unexpected rapidity the whole 
blazed up, and soon gave notice to the enemy of what 



122 CAPTURE OF KINBURN. 

had occurred. They beat a rapid retreat, and, having 
recrossed the Salghir, ran for their lives, pursued by 
the Cossacks, who soon opened on them a hot fire. On 
they ran, fortunately taking the right road, the Cossacks 
increasing in numbers. Milestone at length gave signs 
of being exhausted. The boat was yet some way off. 
The Cossacks were scarcely fifty yards behind when 
Milestone fell in some deep mud, from which, in his 
tired condition, he had no power of drawing himself 
out. On this, Bickard, discovering his condition, en- 
treated his captain to make good his escape, while he 
attempted to help Milestone. This he succeeded in 
doing, though the Cossacks were now not forty yards 
from them, Mr Lillingston and a man who remained in 
the boat covering them with their rifles ; and there for- 
tunately being some 200 yards of mud for the horsemen 
to traverse, all the party reached the boat in safety. 
Both Captain Commerell and his brave boatswain 
Bickard- most deservedly received the Victoria Cross. 



CAPTURE OF KINBURN. 
17th October 1855. 
The allied fleet left Kamiesch on the 7th of October, 
with about 5000 British troops on board, and a still 
larger number of French. Appearing off Odessa to 
alarm that place, and to mislead the Bussians, they 
proceeded directly for Kinburn. 

The troops landed about three miles south of Kin- 
burn early on the 15th, and the bombardment soon 
afterwards commenced ; but it was not till the 17th 
that the grand attack took place, thus described by an 
eye-witness : — 



CAPTURE OF KINBURN. 123 

" Continually on the move, the steamers and gun- 
boats, firing as they went, swept down the defences 
of the Russians, silencing their guns, killing the men, 
or forcing them to take refuge under ground. Then 
a grand movement of the fleet took place. The Ad- 
mirals and their three-deckers were observed at noon 
entering into action in splendid order, French and 
English advancing in line under steam, and approach- 
ing close into the land. The fleet in the lagoon closed 
in at the same moment, and simultaneously heavy 
broadsides were poured in from all quarters. The 
central fort was the only one which replied, and then 
only with a solitary gun at long intervals. Nothing of 
a grander or more imposing effect could be witnessed 
than the three-deckers veering round to deliver their 
fire, their jibs set to bring their guns to bear. Three 
times the ' Montebello,' commanded by the French 
Admiral, delivered a broadside from every gun in her 
sides. As she did so, she became lost in wreaths of 
white smoke. The iron shower swept over the fort 
with a din that surpassed all other sounds, and the 
air reverberated with the roar of ordnance. All round 
the enemy the fire was delivered in continuous dis- 
charges, and there was no pause. It was then that 
the Russians gave signs of surrender. A struggling 
form was seen on the ramparts, waving a white flag 
as a token. As by magic, the firing ceased." 

The old Russian general shortly afterwards came 
out of the castle, and delivered his sword to Admiral 
Sir Houston Stewart and General Bazaine. Only 
two seamen were hit ; but the Russians lost 43 men 
killed, 114 wounded, and upwards of 1200 prisoners. 



BLUE-JACKETS ON SHORE. 



THE ' SHANNON'S' BRIGADE IN INDIA.* 

H.M.'s screw steam-frigate ' Shannon,' of fifty-one guns, 
600 horse -power, and 2667 tons, at that time the 
largest frigate afloat, was commissioned at Portsmouth 
by Captain William Peel, on the 13th of September 
1856, and destined for the China seas. On her arrival 
at Hong-Kong, Lord Elgin, hearing of the state of 
affairs in India, embarked in her with a body of troops 
for Calcutta. She arrived on the 6th of August in the 
mouth of the Ganges, when Captain Peel offered the 
services of his crew, with the ship's guns, to the Gover- 
nor-General, to form a naval brigade. On the 14th, 
Captain Peel, with a number of officers and 450 sea- 
men, embarked in a flat, towed by a river steamer, and 
proceeded up the Hoogly, to join the force advancing 
to the relief of Lucknow. On the 18th, they were 
followed by another party of five officers and 120 men, 
under the command of Lieutenant Yaughan ; the frigate 
being left with 140 men, under the command of Mr 
Waters, the master. 

The steamers were of light draught, and could pro- 
ceed but slowly with the heavily-laden flats in tow 
against the strong current. The vessels anchored at 

* From the Journal of Lieutenant E. Hope Verney, E.N., Pub- 
lished by Saunders and Otley. 



THE ' SHANNON'S ' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 125 

night, and proceeded on their voyage during the day, 
when the men underwent a course of drilling, to fit 
them for the service they had undertaken. At length, 
towards the end of October, they reached Allahabad, 
at the junction of the Jumna and Ganges ; and while 
one division was left to garrison that place, the re- 
mainder proceeded on towards Cawnpore by land. 
While at Futtehpore, near the Ganges, information 
was received that a party of rebels were in the neigh- 
bourhood ; and one hundred men of the Naval Brigade, 
commanded by Captain Peel, with Lieutenant Hay, 
Mr Garvey, Lieutenant Stirling, R.M., and Mr Bone, 
and 430 men of different regiments, under command of 
Colonel Powell, started in pursuit. " After marching 
about twenty-four miles, at three p.m. they came in 
sight of the enemy, found entrenched in a strong posi- 
tion behind some hillocks of sand ; and, driving their 
skirmishers out of a field of corn, engaged and defeated 
them, capturing two guns and an ammunition-waggon. 
The whole force of the enemy exceeded 4000 men, of 
whom about 2000 were Sepoys, who fought in uniform. 
The enemy's artillery was well served, and did great 
execution. The gallant Colonel Powell, pressing on 
to the attack, had just secured two guns, when he fell 
dead with a bullet through his forehead." 

Captain Peel then took the command. It was not 
till half-past four that the enemy fired their last shot 
and retreated, leaving 300killed behind them, while 
the British loss was 95 killed and wounded. Of the 
Naval Brigade, Lieutenant Hay, R.N., was wounded in 
the hand, and Lieutenant Stirling, R.M., severely in 
the leg. 

On the 12th of November, the Naval Brigade arrived 



126 THE l SHANNON'S ' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 

before Lucknow. On the 14th an attack was made 
on the city, when the Martiniere College and another 
large building were captured. The brigade's guns 
came into play ; one of them exploding, killed Francis 
Cassidey, captain of the main-top, and severely wounded 
several other men. 

Again, on the 16th, the Naval Brigade guns were 
engaged in the attack on Secundra Bagh, when Lieu- 
tenant Salmon, R.N., was severely wounded, and 
Martin Abbot Daniel, midshipman, was killed by a 
round-shot in the head. 

In writing to his father, Captain Peel says, " It was 
in front of the Shah Najeef, and in command of an eight- 
inch howitzer, that your noble son was killed. The 
enemy's fire was very heavy, and I had just asked your 
son if his gun was ready : he replied, ' All ready, sir ; ' 
when I said Tire the howitzer;' and he was answering 
'Ay, ay,' when a round-shot in less than a moment 
deprived him of life. We buried him where he fell, 
our chaplain reading the service ; and, in laying him 
in his resting-place, we felt, captain, officers, and men, 
that we had lost one of the best and noblest of the 
' Shannon.'" 

Twelve or thirteen of the Naval Brigade were 
wounded on this occasion, and three or four were 
killed. On the following day that masterly movement 
took place, by which the women and children, and sick 
and wounded, were safely brought out of Lucknow ; 
and on the 24th, one of England's noblest heroes — Sir 
Henry Havelock — died. 

On the 28th of November the Brigade marched on 
Cawnpore, when, meeting the enemy, a party of thirty- 
six blue-jackets, with two twenty-four pounders, under 



THE ' SHANNONS ' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 127 

Lieutenant Hay, with Mr Garvey, mate, and Mr H. A. 
Lascelles, did good service. Mr Lascelles, naval cadet, 
aide-de-camp to Captain Peel, greatly distinguished 
himself, seizing a rifle from a wounded man of the 88th, 
and charging with that regiment. About this time the 
Brigade was joined by Captain Oliver Jones, R.N., on 
half-pay, as a volunteer, who did good service on vari- 
ous occasions. 

" Our army on the march is a sight affording much 
interest and amusement ; — such a menagerie of men 
and beasts, footmen and cavalry, soldiers and sailors, 
camels and elephants, white men and black men, horses 
and oxen, marines and artillery, Sikhs and Highlanders. 

" When we first leave the encampment, all is shrouded 
in darkness, and every one naturally feels a little 
grumpy; but when the first streaks of dawn appear, and 
we have been an hour on the road, the welcome note is 
heard in the distance of the bugles sounding the ' halt.' 
With great rapidity it passes from regiment to regi- 
ment, and dies away in the rear. Cavalry dismount, 
infantry pile arms in the middle of the road, and for a 
few minutes the whole army disperses on each side of 
it. The favourite refreshment of officers is bread, cold 
tongue, and ' brandy-pawnee,' which find their way 
out of innocent-looking holsters. And now we take 
off overcoats and monkey-jackets, which were needed 
when we started in the cold and damp night ; the blue- 
jackets fasten theirs over their shoulders, and the 
officers strap theirs to their saddles. The brief halt is 
too quickly at an end, and after a ten minutes' rest the 
advance again sounds down the line from bugler to 
bugler. All at once fall in, arms are unpiled, and en- 
livened by our band we again step out : now feet begin 



128 THE i SHANNON'S ' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 

to ache, and boots to chafe ; but the cheery music of 
the bands, bugles, or drums and fifes of the regiments 
marching next to us, generally the Rifles, infuses 
energy into the most footsore. We make three halts 
in a march of thirteen or fourteen miles, of which the 
last is the longest, to allow the Quartermaster-General 
and his staff to ride on and mark out the camp. As the 
sun rises, the heat rapidly increases, and the camels and 
elephants are seen making short cuts across the fields, 
and keeping always clear of the road. When our bands 
have blown as mnch wind as they can spare into their 
instruments, our men strike up a song ; and old wind- 
lass tunes, forecastle ditties, and many a well-known 
old ballad resound through the jungles, and across 
the fertile plains of Bengal, and serve to animate our 
sailors, and astonish the natives." 

On the 2d of January 1858, the Naval Brigade were 
engaged at the battle of Kallee-Nuddee. A party of 
seamen, under Lieutenant Yaughan, had been repairing 
the bridge across that river, when the Sepoys opened 
fire on him from a small gun in the opposite village. 
He returned it, and, crossing the bridge with three guns, 
held in check a body of the enemy's cavalry visible 
beyond the village. Brigadier Greathed's division and 
other troops were engaged all the time. Lieutenant 
Yaughan now pointed and fired one of his guns at the 
small gun of the enemy, which was concealed behind 
the corner of a house. His first shot struck the roof 
of the house ; his second struck the angle of the wall 
about half-way down ; and a third dismounted the gun, 
and destroyed the carriage. Captain Peel, who was 
standing by, said, " Thank you, Mr Yaughan ; perhaps 
you will now be so good as to blow up the tumbril," 



THE ' SHANNON'S ' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 129 

Lieutenant Vaughan fired a fourth shot, which passed 
near it, and a fifth, which blew it up, and killed several 
of the enemy. " Thank you," said Captain Peel, in his 
blandest and most courteous tones : " I will now go 
and report to Sir Colin." 

The village was stormed, and the enemy driven out 
by the 53d regiment, when the cavalry pursued and cut 
up the rebels terribly, capturing all their guns. 

Soon after this, as Captain Peel and Captain Oliver 
Jones, with three men of the 53d, were passing through 
the battery, five Sepoys jumped out of a ditch, and 
attacked them frantically. All were killed, Captain 
Jones shooting the last with his revolver — one man of 
the 53d, however, being dangerously wounded. 

Eighteen or twenty blue-jackets were attached to 
each gun, and with drag-ropes ran them about with 
the greatest rapidity. On the march they were 
dragged by bullocks, but if a gun stuck, the animals 
were taken out, and the wheels and drag-ropes manned 
by blue-jackets; and having an elephant to push behind 
with his forehead, they never failed to extricate a gun 
from the worst position. This was carrying out to 
perfection the principle of a " steady pull and pull to- 
gether." 

On the 3d of March, the Brigade were before Luck- 
now, and engaged in taking of the Dilkoosah, when 
two were mortally wounded. 

Captain Oliver Jones was at this time serving as a 
volunteer with H.M.'s 53d regiment. He was the 
second to mount a breach at the capture of one of the 
forts, when he received a wound on the knuckles, but 
cut down the fellow who gave it him. 

The Naval Brigade guns were now posted to the 

i 



130 THE ( SHANNON'S BRIGADE IN INDIA. 

right of the Dilkoosah, and near the river Goomtee. 
Mr Yerney had a narrow escape. The enemy brought 
two guns down to the corner of the Martiniere, and 
opened on them. A shot struck the ground close to 
where he was standing, and so completely surrounded 
him with dust that his comrades supposed he had been 
killed, and were surprised to see him standing in the 
same place when the dust cleared off. 

Lieutenant Yaughan w^s now made a commander, 
but resumed his former duties. 

On the 9th March, the Brigade's six eight-inch guns 
and two twenty-four-pounders went down in front of 
the Dilkoosah, with four rocket-hackeries, the whole 
under command of Captain Yaughan, accompanied by 
Lieutenants Young, Salmon, Wratislaw, Mr Daniel, 
and Lords Walter Kerr and Arthur Clinton, midship- 
men. Captain Peel was also there, with his two aides- 
de-camp, Watson and Lascelles. Unhappily, while 
looking out for a suitable spot in which to post some 
guns for breaching the Martiniere, he was severely 
wounded in the thigh by a musket-ball. The brave 
Captain was carried to the Dilkoosah, where the bullet 
was extracted by the surgeon of the 93d Highlanders. 
The Brigade's guns were most actively engaged in 
battering the Begum's palace ; and it was here, on the 
12th, that Mr Grarvey, mate, as he was riding fast on 
in front of a row of cohorns to deliver a message, and 
not perceiving that the quick matches were alight, was 
struck dead by one of the shells. He was the second 
officer of the Brigade killed, and a most promising 
young man. 

All the guns of the Brigade were on that memorable 
day very hotly engaged. Several had been posted 



THE < SHANNONS BRIGADE IN INDIA. 131 

behind some earthworks thrown up by the enemy, As 
the men could not see over the bank to point their 
guns, Captain Oliver Jones placed himself at the top, 
and, though thus becoming a clear mark for the enemy ? 
with the greatest coolness directed their fire. 

On the 13th, the naval guns were placed in a more 
advanced battery. While warmly engaged with the 
enemy, some sand-bags forming the front of the battery 
caught fire. A coloured man of the name of Hall, a 
Canadian, under a heavy fire of bullets from loopholes 
not forty yards distant, gallantly jumped out, and 
extinguished some, and threw away others that were 
burning. In the performance of this service he was 
severely wounded. He was a man of athletic frame, 
and always remarkable for his steady good conduct. 
He afterwards received the Victoria Cross. 

The next day, after Sir James Outram had, by his 
admirable manoeuvre, driven the rebels from their lines, 
Captain Vaughan being in front, Sir Colin Campbell 
met him, and desired him to bring up a gun's crew of 
blue-jackets to man an abandoned gun, which was to 
be turned against the retreating enemy. Lord Walter 
Kerr was sent back for the gun's crew, and Captain 
Yaughan and Mr Yerney proceeded to the gun itself, 
which was at the gate of an outer court of the Kaiser 
Bagh. They found that a body of Sepoys were 
defending themselves in an adjoining court, and it was 
necessary to blow away the gate of it that the troops 
might storm ; and it was for this object that Sir Colin 
ordered the guns to be turned against them. In the 
meanwhile, however, they kept a continual fire on the 
little band of British from the walls and over and 
round the gate, whenever they approached the gun. 



132 THE ' SHANNON'S ' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 

Captain Vaughan then fired a few rounds at the gate, 
Mr Yerney loading and sponging, three of the ' Shan- 
non's ' bandsmen bringing up the powder and shot, and 
some of the men of the 38th, under command of Lieu- 
tenant Elles, running the gun up after every round. 
Near them, all the time, was a house full of loose gun- 
powder, while close to it was another in flames. A 
sentry, however, was posted to give warning in time, 
if the flames approached the loose powder. Captain 
Vaughan now went back to meet the gun's crew that 
had been sent for, and to show them the way, leaving 
orders with Mr Yerney to keep up the fire. He dis- 
covered that the Sepoy charges were so heavy that the 
shot went clean through the solid gate every time he 
fired. By reducing the charges, the firing at last 
began to tell ; and when the blue-jackets came up 
under command of Lieutenant Hay, the gate was blown 
open, and the court captured by the company of the 
38th. 

On the 16th of March, the guns of the Naval Bri- 
gade were advanced to the Residency, whence they 
occasionally fired a shot over the town. On the 22d, 
the last of the rebels evacuated Lucknow ; and on the 
29th, the Brigade handed over to the artillery to go 
into park in the small Imaumbarah the six eight-inch 
guns which they had brought from the ' Shannon.' 
The word ' Shannon' was deeply cut into each carriage, 
and must last as long as the wood exists. There they 
will remain, a memorial of what sailors can do on land. 
Here the active services of the gallant Naval Brigade 
ceased. Mr Yerney had been sent to the Kaiser Bagh 
to bring out one of the King of Oude's carriages for 
the conveyance of Captain Peel to Cawnpore. He 



THE l SHANNON'S ' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 133 

selected the best he could find, and the ship's carpenter 
padded it and lined it with blue cotton, and made a 
rest for his feet, and painted H.M.S. ' Shannon' over 
the royal arms of Lucknow. When, however, he saw 
it, he declined making use of it, saying that he would 
prefer travelling in a doolie like one of his blue-jackets. 
Alas ! the doolie chosen for him had in all probability 
carried a small-pox patient, for he was shortly after- 
wards seized with that dire disease, under which, 
already weakened by his severe wound, he succumbed, 
and the country lost one of the most gallant captains 
in the naval service. 

The Brigade now once more turned their faces 
towards Calcutta, and on the 12th and following days 
of August rejoined their ship. On the 15th of Sep- 
tember, the 'Shannon' sailed for England. 

The officers received their promotion as follows : — 
Commander Yaughan received the order of C.B., an 
honour never before accorded to any officer of that 
rank, and after serving a year he was posted. Lieu- 
tenants Young, Wilson, Hay, Salmon, and Wratislaw 
were promoted to the rank of commanders ; Dr Flana- 
gan, assistant-surgeon, was promoted to the rank of 
surgeon. Mr Yerney, mate, was promoted to the rank 
of lieutenant ; Mr Comerford, assistant-paymaster, was 
promoted to the rank of paymaster, and each of the 
engineers and warrant-officers received a step. On 
passing their examination, all the midshipmen and naval 
cadets have been promoted. 

The Yictoria Cross was presented to Lieutenants 
Young and Salmon, and to three blue-jackets, "for 
valour " at the relief of Lucknow. The Indian medal 
with the Lucknow clasp was presented to each officer 



134 THE < SHANNON'S' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 

and man who formed part of the Naval Brigade. The 
following officers, who were present at the relief of 
Lucknow on the 19th of November, received also the 
" Relief of Lucknow'' clasp: — Lieutenants Yaughan, 
Young, Salmon; Captain Gray, R.N.; Rev. E. L. 
Bowman, Dr Flanagan, Mr Comerford, Messrs M. A. 
Daniel, R. E. J. Daniel, Lord Walter Kerr, Lord 
Arthur Clinton, and Mr Church, midshipman ; Messrs 
Bone and Henri, engineers ; and Mr Brice, carpenter. 

Never was medal more highly prized or clasp more 
nobly won. 

The following letter from Sir Edward Lugard to 
Captain Yaughan, shows the high estimation in which 
the ' Shannon's ' Naval Brigade was held by the mili- 
tary officers high in command. 

" The ' Shannon's ' Brigade advanced upon Lucknow 
with my division, and acted with it during the entire 
operations, as you well know. The men were daily — 
I may say hourly — under my sight, and 1 considered 
their conduct in every particular an example to the 
troops. During the whole period I was associated 
with the ' Shannon's ' Brigade, I never once saw an 
irregularity among the men. They were sober, quiet, 
and respectful ; and often T remarked to my Staff the . 
high state of discipline Sir W. Peel got them into. 
From the cessation of active operations until I was 
detached to Azimghur, I commanded all the troops in 
the city ; and all measures for the repression of plun- 
dering were carried out through me, and of course 
every irregularity committed was reported to me. 
During that period not one irregularity was reported 
to me. Indeed, in the whole course of my life I never 



THE ' SHANNON'S' BRIGADE IN INDIA. 135 

saw so well-conducted a body of men. . . . All I 
have written about the good conduct and discipline 
of the ' Shannon's ' men would, I am convinced, be con- 
firmed by the unanimous opinion of the army at Luck- 
now. Poor Adrian Hope and I often talked together 
on the subject ; and many a time I expressed to Peel 
the high opinion I had of his men, and my admiration 
of their cheerfulness, and happy, contented looks, under 
all circumstances of fatigue and difficulty. 

Ci Believe me, my dear Yaughan, sincerely yours, 

" Edward Lugard." 

" Captain Vaughan, C.B." 

Another Naval Brigade was formed from the officers 
and ship's company of H.M.S. ' Pearl,' which did good 
service, and won the respect of all associated with it. 



THE SECOND CHINESE WAR. 

1856-1860. 

The Chinese Government, forgetting the lesson they 
had received in the former war with Great Britain, or 
believing that they could follow the bent of their incli- 
nations with impunity, committed a series of aggressions 
on British subjects, which demanded our immediate 
interference. Sir Michael Seymour, the Admiral on 
the station, commenced vigorous measures without loss 
of time to recall them to their senses, with the squadron 
and marines under his command. He began by opening 
fire on Canton in October. On the 5th November, he 
destroyed several Chinese war-junks ; and on the 12th 
and 13th of that month, the Bogue Forts, mounting 
400 guns, were captured. On the 12th January 1857, 
the marines, with a detachment of the 59th regiment, 
attacked the suburbs of the city of Canton, when a few 
casualties occurred, both among the seamen and troops. 
We now come to the month of May, when more 
active operations were commenced. Near Canton several 
creeks run into the Canton river, with which the English 
were but slightly acquainted ; up these the war-junks 
had to take refuge whenever the British ships ap- 
proached. Commodore Elliot heard that a large fleet 
of war -junks were collected some five miles up one of 
them, called Escape Creek, and accordingly, early on 
the 25th of May, he went on board the ' Hong-Kong ' 
gunboat, and got under weigh, followed by ' Bustard,' 



THE SECOND CHINESE WAR. 137 

6 Staunch,' ' Starling,' and ' Forbes,' towing the boats 
manned from the ' Inflexible,' ' Hornet,' and ' Tribune.' 
Steaming into the creek, they before long came upon 
forty-one Mandarin junks, moored across the stream. 
Each junk had a long twenty-four or thirty-two-pounder 
gun forward, and carried also four or six nine-pounders. 
The i Hong-Kong ' gallantly led. No sooner had she 
got within range, than the Chinese with much spirit 
opened fire, the first shot striking her ; and others came 
rattling thick and fast on board. The other gunboats 
coming up, formed in as wide order as possible, and 
opened fire. It was wonderful, considering the exposed 
position of the Chinese guns, that the crews so long 
stood the return shower of shot sent at them by the 
gunboats. In time, however, they began to show 
signs of not liking the treatment they were receiving. 
First one was seen to cut her cable, get out her oars, 
or hoist her sails, and falling out of the line turn her 
stern for flight up the creek. 

The example set by one was quickly followed by 
others. The whole Mandarin fleet was soon in full 
flight, firing away, however, with their stern-chasers ; 
but they were guns of light calibre, and were not well 
served, so they did little damage. The junks were fast 
craft, and the crews pulled for their lives, to aid the 
sails, so that the steamers had to put on all speed to 
come up with them. They had not got far before the 
water shoaled. The gunboats drew upwards of seven 
feet, the junks less than three. One after the other 
the gunboats grounded. " On, lads, on!" cried the 
Commodore, leaping into one of the boats towing 
astern; "never mind the vessels." Imitating his ex- 
ample, officers and men jumped into the boats, each boat 



138 THE SECOND CHINESE WAR. 

having a gun in her bows ; and after the junks they 
pulled with might and main. Away went the junks up 
the creek, the boats hotly pursuing them. The guns 
in the bows of the latter kept up a hot fire on the 
enemy, and told with great effect. The speed of several 
lessened, and, one after the other, numbers were over- 
taken. Though all hope of escape was gone, when 
a boat got alongside, the Chinese fired a broadside 
of grape into her, and then leaping overboard on the 
opposite side, swam towards the shore, and were soon 
beyond pursuit among the rice-fields which boarded 
the banks of the stream. In this way sixteen junks 
were captured in succession, and destroyed in the prin- 
cipal channel. Ten more took refuge in a channel 
to the left, but a division of the boats was sent after 
them. No sooner, however, did the English appear 
than the crews, setting fire to their vessels, abandoned 
them, and swam to shore. They burned like touch- 
paper, and were quickly destroyed. Another turned 
into an inlet on the right, but some boats were quickly 
after her ; and so frightened were the crew, that they 
forgot to set her on fire, and she was thus towed out 
in triumph. 

The heat of the sun was terrific, many men suffered 
from sun-stroke, and the casualties from the shot 01 
the enemy were considerable. Thirteen junks escaped 
by dint of hard pulling, and the Commodore determined 
to have these as well as many more which he suspected 
were concealed in the various creeks. 

Next day he accordingly blockaded the mouths of 
all the creeks. Captain Forsyth, in the ' Hornet/ was 
stationed at the mouth, to prevent escape ; the 6 In- 
flexible' at that of Second Bar Creek, and the 'Tribune* 



THE SECOND CHINESE WAR. 139 

at the Sawshee Channel entrance. This done, the Com- 
modore, with the gunboats and a large flotilla of the 
boats of the squadron in tow, proceeded up the Saw- 
shee Channel. For twelve miles no enemy were seen. 
At length, leaving the steamers, he pulled up another 
twelve miles, when suddenly he found himself in the 
midst of a large city, with a fleet of war -junks before 
him, one of large size and richly adorned, while a 
battery frowned down on the invaders. It was not a 
moment for hesitation. Every gun and musket was 
discharged at the enemy ahead, and then, with a cheer, 
the British seamen dashed alongside the big junk. As 
they climbed up the side the Chinese sprang on shore, 
and immediately a hot fire from jingalls was opened on 
the boarders. The marines at the same time were 
landed from the other boats, and forming prepared to 
charge the enemy. As they were about to do so, 
flames burst out from the houses near the big junk. 
u To the boats! to the boats!" was the cry of the 
officers on board her. It was discovered that a quan- 
tity of powder had been left in her, and that a train 
was laid from her to the shore. Not a moment was 
to be lost. Her captors sprang into their boats ; the 
crew of the last, a pinnace, were leaping from her sides, 
when up she went, with a loud explosion. Several of 
the seamen were singed, if not more seriously hurt. 
The other twelve junks were immediately set on fire, 
while the gallant marines charged down the streets, 
and put all the jingall firers to flight. No work could 
have been accomplished more effectually, though at 
severe loss, for one man in ten at least had been hit. 
The surgeons having attended to the hurts of the men, 
the boats' heads were once more turned down the 



140 BATTLE OF FATSHAN. 

creek. The crews had fitted them, from the captured 
junks, with an extraordinary variety of sails, — some of 
matting, others of coloured cloths, and any material 
which could be stretched on spars and hold wind. In 
this guise they returned to the steamers. The town 
thus unexpectedly entered was found to be Tunkoon. 



BATTLE OF FATSHAN. 

To the south of Canton, one of the numerous creeks of 
that river runs up to the city of Fatshan. Some con- 
siderable distance up this creek, and nearly south of 
Canton, is the long, low island called Hyacinth Island, 
making the channels very narrow. On the south shore 
of the creek is a high hill. On the summit of this hill 
the Chinese had formed a strong fort of nineteen guns. 
A six-gun battery was erected 'opposite it, and seventy 
junks were moored, so as to command the passage. 
The Chinese fully believed that this position was im- 
pregnable. The British squadron had rendezvoused 
a short distance below this formidable obstruction of 
the navigation. The Admiral was on board the little 
'Coromandel' steamer, and before dawn on the 1st of 
June he led the way up the channel, towing a whole 
flotilla of boats, with 300 soldiers on board them. The 
other steamers followed, all towing boats with red and 
blue-jackets on board. The { CorornandeP was steam- 
ing up the left-hand channel, when she ran on to a line 
of junks which had been sunk across the passage. The 
Admiral had wisely chosen the time of dead low-water 
to commence the ascent. Lieutenant Douglas leaped 
into a dingy, and sounded on all sides. A passage was 



BATTLE OF FATSHAN. 141 

found close in shore ; but the little steamer could not 
get off, and a heavy fire was opened on her from the 
nineteen-gun battery. In vain her crew ran from side 
to side to start her. Several were struck. The boats 
had been cast off, and landed the troops. Now Com- 
modore Keppel came up in the ' Hong-Kong,' and 
obtained leave to proceed through the channel Mr 
Douglas had discovered. The ' Haughty,' with boats 
in tow, 'Bustard,' and 'Forester' followed. 'Plover' 
stuck on the barrier ; but ' Opossum,' casting off her 
boats, dashed up the right-hand channel. Now boats 
of all descriptions raced up, each eager to be first, 
many a brave fellow being picked off as they passed 
through the showers of shot hurled on them from the 
Chinese batteries. The Chinese were showing them- 
selves to be of sterner stuff than many had supposed. 
The garrison of the hill battery fought bravely. 

Meantime the troops were climbing the heights, the 
Admiral had landed, and so had Commodore Elliot, 
and many other naval officers, leading their blue-jackets. 
As the stormers got within fifty yards of the summit, 
the garrison fired a volley, and then retreated down 
the hill ; nor could the fire of the marines, who had 
gained the fort, make them run. The fort gained, the 
naval officers hurried down to their boats and pulled 
up towards the junks, which, as the flotilla advanced, 
opened a heavy fire. As the boats dashed alongside, 
the Chinamen invariably discharged a round of grape, 
but generally too high to do damage ; and the seamen 
boarding under it, they leaped overboard and swam on 
shore. Then junk after junk was set on fire and blown 
up. It being low tide, they were nearly all on shore, 
and could not escape. The 'Haughty' ran stem on 



142 BATTLE OF FATSHAN. 

into one, and crumpled her up as if she had been paper. 
Thus seventy-two were either burnt or captured. 
Heavy firing was heard in the distance. Commodore 
Keppel had meantime gone up through the right-hand 
channel. His own steamer grounded, and so did the 
' Plover ;' and he therefore, with seven boats of ' Cal- 
cutta,' 6 Bittern,' and ' Niger,' pulled on under the fire 
of the six-gun battery, and boarded a big junk, which, 
when the boats were scarcely free of her, blew up. 
On he went, right through the junks, till he came to an 
island causing two narrow channels. One was thickly 
staked. Across the other were moored twenty large 
junks, their guns so placed that they could sweep both 
channels. In vain the Commodore attempted to dash 
through with his galley. Three boom-boats following 
took the ground. Grape, canister, and round-shot came 
tearing among them. Numbers were struck. Major 
Kearney, a volunteer, was torn to pieces; Barker, a 
midshipman of * Tribune,' was mortally wounded ; the 
Commodore's coxswain was killed, and every man of 
his crew was struck. A shot came in right amidships, 
cut one man in two, and took off the hand of another. 
Lieutenant Prince Victor of Hohenlohe was leaning 
forward to bind up with his neckcloth the arm of the 
seaman whose hand had been taken off, when a round- 
shot passed between his head and that of the Com- 
modore, wounding two more of the crew. Had he 
been sitting in his place, it would have taken off his 
head. The boat, almost knocked to pieces, was filling 
with water. The Commodore jumped on one of the 
seats, to keep his legs out of the water, when a third 
round-shot went through both sides of the boat, not 
more than an inch below the seat on which he was 



BATTLE OF FATSHAN. 143 

standing. Many of the boats had now got huddled 
together, the oars of most being shot away. A boat 
of the 'Calcutta' being nearest, Commodore Keppel 
and his officers got in, hauling all the wounded men 
after them. The Commodore had a dog with him, 
' Mike' by name, and the animal having been a favourite 
of the coxswain, Tolhurst, and always fed by him, 
refused to leave his dead body, and remained in the 
wreck of the boat drifting up towards the junks. It 
became absolutely necessary to retire for reinforce- 
ments. As the boats began to pull down the stream 
towards the 'Hong-Kong,' the Chinese in triumph 
redoubled their fire, setting up loud shouts and strange 
cries, and beating their gongs with increased vigour. 
One shot knocked away all the oars on one side of the 
6 Calcutta's ' boat. The Commodore had just directed 
Lieutenant Graham to get his boat, the pinnace, ready 
for his pendant, as he would lead the next attack in 
her, when a shot wounded Mr Graham, killing and 
wounding four others, and disabled the boat. Mr 
Graham appeared to be a mass of blood, but it was 
that of a marine who stood next to him, and part of 
whose skull was forced three inches into another man's 
shoulder. The ' Hong-Kong,' supported by the l Star- 
ling,' was meantime throwing shot and shell among the 
Chinamen, to which they responded with considerable 
vigour. 

At length the deck of the ' Hong-Kong ' was 
reached. Her deck was covered with the wounded 
who had been brought on board ; but the whole fire of 
the Chinese was now concentrated on her, and she was 
hulled twelve times in a few minutes. One shot struck 
a marine standing near the wounded, and he fell dead 



144 BATTLE OF FATSHAN. 

among them. The sound of the firing had, however, 
brought up numerous other boats. " The Commodore 
had got a piece of blue bunting ready to represent his 
broad pendant. 4 Let us try the rowboats once more, 
boys,' he shouted, as he jumped into the ' Raleigh's 9 
cutter. A true British seaman's shout was the answer 
to the proposal, and a sign that it was all up with John 
Chinaman. He might sink twenty boats, but thirty 
others would be ready to follow. On dashed the 
British boats. The Chinese did not wait their coming, 
but, cutting their cables, with oars and sails attempted 
to escape ; still, however, keeping up a hot fire, and 
retiring in good order. Again three cheers rose from 
the British boats, and the chase commenced, not to 
end for seven miles. As the shot and shells from the 
English guns began to play on the junks, they ran on 
shore, the terrified crews leaping out and escaping. 
Junk after junk was captured, but some eight remained. 
Suddenly entering a fresh reach, the pursuers close 
astern of the pursued, the British found themselves 
almost in the middle of a large city, Fatshan itself, 
with shops and other houses lining the quays, and 
trading-junks along the banks. Five of the junks were 
headed, abandoned and captured ; three escaped, and 
they would have been farther pursued, had not a large 
body of troops — militia probably — turned out to repel 
the invaders. The Commodore instantly landed his 
marines, who, firing a volley, made ready to charge. 
The Chinese braves not liking their aspect, went about, 
and marched double-quick time into the town, where 
they could not be seen. Commodore Keppel proposed 
landing and fortifying himself in the city, and demand- 
ing a ransom ; but a message from the Admiral re- 



CAPTURE OF CANTON. 145 

called him, and he had to give up his daring scheme. 
Most unwillingly he obeyed the mandate ; and having 
secured five junks, he towed them out astern of his 
flotilla, promising the Chinese that he would pay them 
another visit before long. As he went down the river, 
a dog was seen on the shore, and, plunging into the 
stream, the animal swam off to his boat. It was his 
faithful ' Mike,' who had escaped the shower of shot 
and shell and the hungry Chinese, and now recognised 
the boat of his master. 

Of the fleet of war-junks captured, only five were 
saved from destruction ; and for some time during the 
night they were burning away, sending their shot right 
and left, and occasionally blowing up. 

The British lost in killed and wounded during these 
two engagements eighty-four men, proving that the 
Chinese were no contemptible opponents after all. 



CAPTURE OF CANTON. 
29th December. 

Although the capture of Canton may be looked upon 
as a military exploit, the blue-jackets took so large a 
share in it that it must not be passed over. 

The British had now been joined by a considerable 
French force ; and the united squadron having pro- 
ceeded up the river, the troops prepared to land at 
Kupar Creek, on the north shore, just to the east of 
Napier's Island, on the 28th December. The < Ac- 
tion,' ' Phlegethon,' and a squadron of English gun- 
boats, followed by the French fleet, had in the meantime 

K 



146 CAPTURE OF CANTON. 

gone on, and anchored directly facing the city, opposing 
a line of forts along the banks of the river. 

A naval brigade was formed under the command of 
Commodore Elliot, consisting of 1501 men, formed in 
three divisions ; the first under Captain Stuart, second 
under Captain Key, and third under Captain Sir R. 
M'Clure, who landed with the troops. At a signal 
given, the steamers and gunboats opened fire on the 
devoted city, and immediately the landing commenced. 
The fleet gave ample occupation to the Chinese, and 
drew off their attention from the land forces. These 
now landed, and while the fleet continued their slow 
and steady bombardment, marched to the capture of 
Lin's Fort, a powerful battery on a hill to the east of 
the town. The British Naval Brigade entered a village 
to the right, and from thence clambered up the height 
to storm the fort ; but as they rushed in, the Chinese 
rushed out and down the hill, while the blue-jackets 
in hot haste made chase after them, led by Captains 
M'Clure and Osborn. On they went, rifle, cutlass, and 
bayonet pitted against jingalls and rockets. Meantime 
Lin's Fort blew up. While reconnoitring the walls to 
discover a suitable spot for placing the ladders, the 
much esteemed and excellent Captain Bate was shot 
dead. Early on the morning of the 29th, the signal 
for the assault was given. The English and French 
troops rushed on most gallantly to the attack. Of the 
blue-jackets, Commander Fellowes was the first on the 
walls, from which, after a stout resistance, the Chinese 
were driven into the town, which, after a week, was 
occupied by the Allies. 

. The fleet, with the army on board, now proceeded 
to Teintsin, preparatory to an attack on Pekin. The 



CAPTURE OF CANTON. 147 

naval officers obtained deserved credit for the admir- 
able way in which so large a fleet of eighty ships or 
more, including men-of-war and transports, was navi- 
gated, and for the perfect order and regularity with 
which the army was landed. An account of the opera- 
tions against Pekin, which were of a military character 
will be found among the exploits of Old England's red* 
coats. 



SPIRITED AND GALLANT EXPLOITS. 



LIVES PRESERVED BY NAVAL MEN. 



HEROISM OF LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER, AND PRESENCE 
OF MIND OF JAMES MILES. 

The following account was given me verbally by 
Captain Castle, R.N. : — 

"In the year 1837, 1 commanded H.M.S. 'Pylades,' 
on the East India station. We were on our return 
home, by the way of the Cape of Good Hope, when, 
on the 8th May of that year, we were off Cape 
L'Agullus. It was blowing a heavy gale of wind, 
with a tremendous sea running, such a sea as one rarely 
meets with anywhere but off the Cape ; when, just at 
nightfall, as we were taking another reef in the top- 
sails, a fine young seaman, a mizen-topman, James 
Miles by name, fell from the rnizen-topsail-yard, and 
away he went overboard. In his descent he came 
across the chain-span of the weather-quarter davits, 
and with such force that he actually broke it. I could 
scarcely have supposed that he would have escaped 
being killed in his fall ; but as the ship flew away from 
him, he was seen rising on the crest of a foaming wave, 
apparently unhurt. The life-buoy was let go as soon 
as possible, but by that time the ship had already got 



HEROISM OF LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER. 149 

a considerable distance from him ; and should he be 
able to reach it, even then I felt that the prospect of 
saving him was small indeed, as I had no hope, should 
we find him, of being able to pick him out of that 
troubled sea ; and I could scarcely expect that even a 
boat could swim to go to his rescue, should I deter- 
mine to lower one. I was very doubtful as to what 
was my duty. I might, by allowing a boat to be 
lowered, sacrifice the lives of the officer and crew who 
would, I was very certain, at all events volunteer to 
man her. It was a moment of intense anxiety. I 
instantly, however, wore the ship round ; and while we 
stood towards the spot, as far as we could guess, where 
the poor fellow had fallen, the thoughts I have men- 
tioned passed through my mind. The sad loss of the 
gallant Lieutenant Gore, and a whole boat's crew, a 
short time before, about the same locality, was present 
to my thoughts. To add to the chances of our not 
finding the man, it was now growing rapidly dusk. As 
we reached the spot, every eye on board was straining 
through the gloom to discern the object of our search, 
but neither Miles nor the life-buoy were to be seen. 
Still, I could not bring myself to leave him to one of 
the most dreadful of fates. He was a good swimmer, 
and those who knew him best asserted that he would 
swim to the last. For my part, I almost hoped that 
the poor fellow had been stunned, and would thus 
have sunk at once, and been saved the agony of despair 
he must be feeling were he still alive. Of one thing 
I felt sure, from the course we had steered, that we 
were close to the spot where he had fallen. Anxiously 
we waited — minute after minute passed by — still no 
sound was heard ; not a speck could be seen to indi- 



150 HEROISM OF LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER. 

cate his position. At least half an' hour had passed by. 
The strongest man alive could not support himself in 
such a sea as this for so long, I feared. Miles must 
long before this have sunk, unless he could have got 
hold of the life-buoy, and of that I had no hope. I 
looked at my watch by the light of the binnacle-lamp. 
' It is hopeless,' I thought ; l we must give the poor 
fellow up.' When I had come to this melancholy 
resolve, I issued the orders for wearing ship in some- 
what a louder voice than usual, as under the circum- 
stances was natural, to stifle my own feelings. Just 
then I thought I heard a human voice borne down 
upon the gale. I listened : it was, I feared, but the 
effect of imagination; yet I waited a moment. Again 
the voice struck my ear, and this time several of the 
ship's company heard it. ' There he is, sir ! There 
he is, away to windward,' exclaimed several voices ; 
and then in return they uttered a loud hearty cheer, 
to keep up the spirits of the poor fellow. Now came 
the most trying moment ; I must decide whether I 
would allow a boat to be lowered. 'If I refuse,' I 
felt, 'my crew will say that I am careless of their 
lives. It is not their nature to calculate the risk they 
themselves must run.' At once, Mr Christopher, one 
of my lieutenants, nobly volunteered to make the at- 
tempt, and numbers of the crew came forward anxious 
to accompany him. At last, anxiety to save a drown- 
ing man prevailed over prudence, and I sanctioned the 
attempt. 

" The boat, with Mr Christopher and a picked crew, 
was lowered, not without great difficulty, and, sad to 
say, with the loss of one of the brave fellows. He 
was the bowman ; and as he stood up with his boat- 



HEROISM OF LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER. 151 

hook in his hand to shove off, the boat gave a terrific 
pitch and sent him over the bow. He must have 
struck his head against the side of the ship, for he 
went down instantly, and was no more seen. Thus, in 
the endeavour to save the life of one man, another was 
already sent to his long account. With sad forebod- 
ings for the fate of the rest of the gallant fellows, I 
saw the boat leave the ship's side. Away she pulled 
into the darkness where she was no longer visible ; and 
a heavy pull I knew she must have of it in that terrible 
sea, even if she escaped destruction. It was one of 
the most trying times of my life. We waited in sus- 
pense for the return of the boat ; the minutes, seeming 
like hours, passed slowly by, and she did not appear. 
I began at length to dread that my fears would be 
realized, and that we should not again see her, when, 
after half an hour had elapsed after she had left the 
ship's side on the mission of mercy, a cheer from her 
gallant crew announced her approach with the success 
of their bold enterprise. My anxiety was not, however, 
entirely relieved till the falls were hooked on, and she 
and all her crew were hoisted on board, with the 
rescued man Miles. To my surprise I found that he 
was perfectly naked. As he came up the side, also, he 
required not the slightest assistance, but dived below, 
at once to dry himself and to get out of the cold. I 
instantly ordered him to his hammock, and, with the 
doctor's permission, sent him a stiff glass of grog. I 
resolved also to relieve him from duty, believing that 
his nervous system would have received a shock from 
which it would take long to recover. After I had put 
the ship once more on her course, being anxious to 
hear the particulars of his escape, as soon as I heard 



152 HEROISM OF LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER. 

that he was safely stowed away between the blankets, 
I went below to see him. His voice was as strong as 
ever ; his pulse beat as regularly, and his nerves seemed 
as strong as usual. After pointing out to him how 
grateful he should feel to our Almighty Father for 
his preservation from an early and dreadful death, I 
begged him to tell me how he had contrived to keep 
himself so long afloat. He replied to me in the fol- 
lowing words : — ' Why, sir, you see as soon as I came 
up again, after I had first struck the water, I looked 
out for the ship, and getting sight of her running 
away from me, I remembered how it happened I was 
there, and knew there would be no use swimming 
after her or singing out. Then, sir, I felt very certain 
you would not let me drown without an attempt to 
pick me up, and that there were plenty of fine fellows 
on board who would be anxious to man a boat to 
come to my assistance, if you thought a boat could 
swim. Then, thinks I to myself, a man can die but 
once, and if it's my turn to-day, why there's no help 
for it. Yet I didn't think all the time that I was 
likely to lose the number of my mess, do ye see, sir. 
The next thought that came to me was, If I am to 
drown, it's as well to drown without clothes as with 
them ; and if I get them off, why there's a better chance 
of my keeping afloat till a boat can be lowered to 
pick me up ; so I kicked off my shoes, and then I got 
off my jacket, and then waiting till I could get hold 
of the two legs at once, I drew off my trousers in a 
moment. My shirt was soon off me, but I took care 
to roll up the tails so as not to get them over my face. 
As I rose on the top of a sea, I caught sight of the 
ship as you wore her round here, and that gave me 



HEROISM OF LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER. 153 

courage, for I felt I was not to be deserted ; indeed, I 
had no fear of that. Then I knew that there would be 
no use swimming : so all I did was to throw myself on 
my back and float till you came up to me. I thought 
the time was somewhat long, I own. When the ship 
got back, I saw her hove-to away down to leeward, 
but I did not like to sing out for fear of tiring my- 
self, and thought you would not hear me ; and I 
fancied also that a boat would at once have been 
lowered !to come and look for me. Well, sir, I waited, 
thinking the time was very long, and hearing no sound, 
yet still I could see the ship hove-to, and you may be 
sure I did not take my eyes from off her ; when at 
last I heard your voice give the order to wear ship 
again. Then thinks I to myself, " Now or never's the 
time to sing out." And raising myself as high as I 
could out of the water, I sang out at the top of my 
voice. There was a silence on board, but no answer, 
and I did begin to feel that there was a chance of 
being lost after all. " Never give in, though," thinks 
I; so I sung out again as loud you may be sure as 
I could sing. This time the answering cheers of my 
shipmates gave me fresh spirits ; but still I knew full 
well that I wasn't safe on board yet. If I had wanted 
to swim, there was too much sea on to make any way; 
so I kept floating on my back as before, just keeping 
an eye to leeward to see if a boat was coming to pick 
me up. Well, sir, when the boat did come at last, 
with Mr Christopher and the rest in her, I felt strong 
and hearty, and was well able to help myself on board. 
I now can scarcely fancy I was so long in the water.' 
I was much struck with the extraordinary coolness of 
Miles. He afterwards had another escape, which was 



154 COURAGE OF MESSES SMITH AND PALMES. 

owing less to his own self-possession, though he took 
it as coolly as the first. On our passage home the ship 
was running with a lightish breeze, and almost calm 
sea, across the Bay of Biscay, when Miles was sent 
on the fore-top-gallant-yard. By some carelessness 
he fell completely over the yard, and those aloft ex- 
pected to see him dashed to pieces on the forecastle. 
Instead of that, the foresail at that moment swelled out 
with a sudden breeze, and striking the bulge of the 
sail, he was sent forward clear of the bows and hove 
into the water. A rope was towing overboard. He 
caught hold of it, and hauling himself on board, w r as 
again aloft within a couple of minutes attending to his 
duty, which had so suddenly been interrupted. On his 
arrival in England, Lieutenant Christopher received the 
Honorary Silver Medal from the Royal Humane Society 
for his gallant conduct on the occasion of saving Miles's 
life." 



DEVOTED HEROISM AND COURAGE OF MESSRS SMITH 
AND PALMES OF H.M.S. i SERINGAPATAM.' 

1838. 

H.M.S. ' Seringapatam,' Captain Leith, was lying off 
the island of Antigua in August 1838, when on Sunday, 
the 26th of that month, eight of her officers, three of 
whom were youngsters, and all belonging to the mid- 
shipmen's berth, with a gentleman, a resident in the 
island, and two seamen, started away from the ship in 
the pinnace on a cruise. Their intention was to go 
down to Falmouth Bay, situated about two miles to 
leeward of English Harbour, where the ship was, and 
to beat back. The afternoon was very fine, and every- 



COURAGE OF MESSRS SMITH AND PALMES. 155 

thing seemed to promise them a pleasant excursion. 
Having spent a short time in Falmouth Harbour, they 
hauled their wind, and made three or four tacks on 
their way back to the ship. The boat, however, made 
little or nothing to windward, in consequence of the 
wind being very light. Forgetful of the sudden squalls 
which visit those latitudes, the merry party of young 
officers seemed to have kept but a bad look-out to 
windward ; for while standing-in on the starboard tack 
the boat was taken by a sudden squall. The helm 
was put down; but the boat not coming up to the 
wind so as to lift the sails, she was capsized under 
every stitch of canvas. She, however, went over so 
gradually, that all hands had time to creep to wind- 
ward, and seat themselves on the gunwale. The sails 
prevented her from turning bottom up, and at the same 
time protected them, in some measure, from the break- 
ing of the sea. What seems very extraordinary is, 
that not one of the party, officers or seamen, had a 
knife in his pocket, so that they had no means of cut- 
ting away the rigging and righting the boat. As 
soon as they had settled themselves on the side of the 
boat, they had time to look about them and to con- 
sider their perilous position. They were fully two 
miles from the shore, whence it was scarcely possible 
any one should have observed the accident, and they 
were an equal distance or more from the ship ; thus 
the current might carry them far away before any 
one could come to their assistance. A sea might 
get up and wash them off the wreck, or sharks might 
attack and devour them, for the boat's gunwale was 
only six inches awash. Not a sail was in sight, and 
all felt convinced that if some unforeseen assistance 



156 COURAGE OF MESSRS SMITH AND PALMES. 

did not come to their aid they must perish. Despair 
was well-nigh taking possession of the bosoms of all the 
party. Silent and melancholy, they sat on the wreck, 
meditating on their fate. All were young. Life, with 
all its fancied charms and anticipated pleasure, had a 
few short moments previously been before them ; and 
now, death, in all its terrors — slow, lingering, and 
agonizing — stared them in the face. One only of the 
whole party was a good swimmer, Mr W. R. Smith, 
and he was a very bold and strong one. He looked at 
the shore : two miles was a long distance to swim, with 
a fall consciousness, too, that those waters swarm with 
those terrific monsters of the deep, the seaman's just 
dread — the hideous shark. " Well," said Smith, at 
last, looking wistfully at the distant shore, " I feel I 
ought to try, as it is the only chance of saving all 
hands ; and I think I could have managed it if I had 
had but a companion ; but it's a long way to go alone 
through the silent water." " If that is your only reason, 
Smith, why I will try and keep you company," said 
Palmes, another midshipman, who had hitherto sat 
silent, not complaining like some of the rest. " I am 
not much of a swimmer, and I don't feel as if I could 
ever get to shore. However, it's a good cause, and I'll 
do my best." Thus it was speedily settled, for there 
was no time to be lost. The two noble adventurers 
having bid farewell to their shipmates, whom Palmes, 
at all events, never expected to see again, threw off 
their jackets and shoes, and struck away together from 
the wreck. The prayers of those they left behind fol- 
lowed them, for the safety of all depended on their 
success. Smith swam steadily and strongly, and Palmes 
made amends for his want of strength and skill by his 



COURAGE OF MESSRS SMITH AND PALMES. 157 

courage and spirit. Still, before they got half-way to 
the shore, the courage of one of them was to be sorely 
tried. As Smith swam along he felt his legs strike 
against something, and, looking down into the clear 
water, he saw, to his horror, two enormous sharks 
swimming past him. As yet they had not noticed him ; 
and fortunate was it for both of the brave fellows that 
they had kept on their trousers and socks, for had the 
monsters seen the white flesh of their naked feet, they 
would to a certainty have fixed on them as their prey. 
With admirable presence of mind, Smith kept this 
dreadful fact to himself, lest the knowledge of it should 
still further unnerve his companion, who already was 
almost exhausted by his exertions. At this time they 
were still full a mile from the shore, which, to their 
anxious eyes, appeared still farther off. " Smith, my 
dear fellow," exclaimed Palmes, " I can swim no far- 
ther. Do you push on, and leave me to my fate." 
" Not I, my lad," answered Smith. " Cheer up, man ; 
we'll yet do well. Here, rest on me for a time ; but 
don't cease striking out." Suiting the action to the 
word, he came alongside and supported his companion ; 
but. he did not tell him why he urged him to keep 
striking out. Again they struck out together, and 
Palmes seemed somewhat recovered ; but once more 
his strength forsook him, and he fancied himself incap- 
able of proceeding. Still Smith did not lose courage ; 
but he saw the necessity of keeping their limbs moving, 
lest the dreadful sharks should be tempted to lay hold 
of them. Palmes had fully as much moral courage as 
his companion, but he was his inferior in physical 
strength ; yet, feeling that not only his own life and 
that of Smith, but that of the nine fellow-creatures 



158 COURAGE OF MESSRS SMITH AND PALMES. 

remaining on the wreck, depended on their reaching the 
shore, nerved him to further exertions. 

Those only who have swam for their lives when the 
arms have begun to ache, the knees refuse to bend, and 
the breath grows short, can tell the feelings of the two 
gallant young men, but more especially those of the 
brave Palmes. Spurred on by Smith each time that he 
grew faint and weary, he nerved himself for fresh exer- 
tions. At last, as they strained their eyes ahead, the 
shore seemed to come nearer and nearer. They could 
distinguish the sandy beach, and the green herbage 
beyond. On a sudden, before even he expected it, 
Smith felt his foot touch the shore. With a joyful ex- 
clamation of thankfulness, he grasped Palmes by the 
hand, and aided him to wade on to the dry land. No 
sooner had they emerged from the water, than, over- 
come with fatigue, poor Palmes sank down on the 
beach, where he lay for some time unable to move. 
We fain would believe, nay, we are certain, that they 
both offered up in their hearts a silent thanksgiving to 
the Great Being who had thus mercifully preserved 
them from the perils of the deep. But the gallant 
Smith, while rejoicing in his own preservation and that 
of his friend, did not forget the comrades he had left 
floating on the wreck. As soon as he had recovered 
sufficient strength to move, he hurried off to the nearest 
habitation, to give information of the accident, and to 
procure a boat to go to their assistance. Already 
much time had been lost. It was half-past four when 
the accident occurred, and they had been two hours in 
reaching the shore, so that darkness was now rapidly 
approaching, which, of course, would increase the diffi- 
culty of finding the wreck. The instant Palmes found 



COURAGE OF MESSRS SMITH AND PALMES. 159 

he could move, he also got up, and went in search of a 
boat. He procured one, with a crew to man it, while 
Smith took charge of another ; and they instantly 
started in search of their shipmates. Meantime infor- 
mation of the sad accident had been conveyed on board 
the 'Seringapatam.' The kind heart of the captain was 
much grieved when he heard of it, for he could not but 
fear that the remainder of the party had perished. 
From him downwards to the smallest boy in the ship, 
everybody was most painfully anxious about them. He 
instantly despatched boats in all directions to search 
for the missing party. All sorts of reports were flying 
about on board ; and as sharks were known to abound, 
it was feared by the seamen that they might have de- 
stroyed their young shipmates. The night also became 
very bad ; the wind rose, and threatened to increase ; 
the sea got up with it, thick clouds collected, and the 
white-topped waves added to the gloominess of the 
night, while the rain came down in torrents, and the 
lightning burst forth in sharp and vivid flashes, increas- 
ing the dangers to be apprehended. The boats of the 
'■ Seringapatam"* took different directions, each officer 
commanding shaping the course he thought most likely 
to bring him up to the wreck. Some of the searching 
boats went in a wrong direction altogether, being mis- 
led by a pilot as to the direction the current took. 
Hour after hour passed by, and no sign of the wreck 
was perceived ; and both those on board, and many of 
those in the boats, began to despair of success. As 
they looked out through the darkness they fancied they 
could hear the voices of their shipmates at a distance 
imploring aid, or that they saw their figures in the 
boat amid the surrounding gloom. We shall, however, 



160 COURAGE OF MESSRS SMITH AND PALMES. 

follow the ' SeringapatamV barge, commanded by her 
gunner. He knew the set of the current ; and, as soon 
as he shoved off from the ship's side, he ran directly 
down to leeward along the coast, at the distance he 
understood the boat had been capsized ; he being thus 
better able to calculate the direction in which she would 
have drifted. His purpose was then to beat back 
again ; thus entirely covering the ground where the 
wreck must be. On his wav down he fell in with the 
shore-boat, commanded by Mr Smith, who, at once 
approving of his plan, joined him in the search. By 
their calculations, the boat would have drifted some 
five or six miles to leeward, and would be drawn rather 
off shore. They were right ; and about the very place 
where they expected, she was discerned still floating as 
Smith had left her. With anxious hearts they pulled 
up to her. Five only of the nine were seen still cling- 
ing to her. The other four had too probably given 
themselves up to despair. The crew of the barge 
cheered, and were answered with a faint hail from those 
they had come to save, almost sinking from exhaustion. 
"Where are the rest?" exclaimed Smith, as he saw 
their diminished numbers. " Only a short distance in- 
shore of us," was the answer. " They have not left 
the wreck five minutes." " Alas ! but in those five 
minutes the poor fellows may have sunk fathoms down, 
or been grasped by the jaws of the hungry sharks," 
thought Smith, as he instantly pulled away in the 
direction indicated. 

His four shipmates were found not far apart, each 
of them lashed to an oar, and striking out as well as 
they could for the shore ; but, strange to say, only one 
of them could swim at all. 



COURAGE OF MESSRS SMITH AND PALMES. 161 

It was then past nine o'clock, making nearly five 
hours that the poor fellows had held on to the boat, 
with all the horrors of death staring them in the face ; 
for of course they were not aware that Smith and 
Palmes had reached the shore, and, indeed, had begun 
to fear that they were already numbered with the dead. 
Their pleasure — and, we believe, their gratitude — was 
increased when they discovered that both had escaped, 
and had been the means under Providence of preserving 
their lives. 

Their sufferings had been very great: when the 
storm came on, they expected every moment to be 
washed from the wreck ; and, to add to their horrors, 
a shark had been for most of the time lying between 
the masts of the pinnace, his fiery eyes glaring up at 
them, and watching them, as about soon to become his 
prey. Had it not, indeed, been for Smith's coolness 
and skill as a swimmer, and for the generous daring of 
Palmes, in all human probability every soul must have 
perished. The circumstances we have narrated having 
been represented to the Royal Humane Society, the 
silver medallion of the Society, with a complimentary 
letter, was sent out, and presented on the quarter-deck 
of the ' Seringapatam,' by Captain Leith, to each of the 
two young officers, in the presence of the whole ship's 
company; a suitable and gratifying reward for their 
gallantry, in addition to that their own consciences could 
not fail to afford. 



1 62 SECOND ACT OF GALLANTRY OF MR W. R. SMITH. 



A SECOND ACT OF GALLANTRY RECORDED OF MR W. R. 

SMITH. 

Some years after the events I have just described, 
Mr W. R. Smith having reached the rank of lieu- 
tenant, belonged to H.M.S. ' Endymion.' On the 4th 
of February 1847, she was at anchor off Sacraficios 
Island, near Yera Cruz. The night of the 4th was ex- 
cessively dark, and a strong current was running past 
the ship, when Mr West, mate, slipped his foot from 
the gangway, and fell into the sea, striking his head 
against the ship's side. On the cry of " A man over- 
board !" which was instantly raised, Lieutenant W. R. 
Smith and others rushed on deck ; but, owing to the 
excessive darkness and the strong current, no object 
could at first be seen floating : at length, some white 
substance was perceived at a distance, when Lieutenant 
Smith immediately plunged into the water, and struck 
rapidly out towards it. On reaching the object, he 
found it to be Mr West, who was lying quite motionless, 
though, from his head sinking under water, he would 
speedily have been deprived of life. Lieutenant Smith 
at once raised his head above water, and kept him 
floating until, by repeatedly calling, he attracted a 
boat to his assistance, when he and his companion were 
carried on board. The crew were thickly clustering 
on the rigging to see them return, and from among 
them another man missed his footing and fell over- 
board from the main-chains. Mr Smith, who saw the 
accident, not knowing whether the man could swim, 
instantly plunged in again to his assistance, but found, 
on reaching him, that he was perfectly able to keep 
himself afloat till the boat could arrive to pick him up. 



LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 1 G3 

ACCOUNT OF RESCUE OF BOAT'S CREW OF H.M.S. ' WOL- 
VERINE' BY LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON, 
R.N.* 

16th January 1840. 

ALSO OF HIS SAVING THE LIFE OF A BOY OF H.M.S. 
' SARACEN.' 

13th March 1840. 

H.M.S. ' Wolverine' formed one of the African squad- 
ron, and was commanded by the brave and kind Com- 
mander Tucker. She had been cruizing off the coast, 
when, on the 15th of January 1840, she anchored off 
the River Brass, or St John, one of the mouths of the 
far-famed and mysterious Niger. Captain Tucker had 
made himself thoroughly acquainted with the coast, 
as well as with the modes of proceeding of the slave- 
dealers and of the slavers, and he was thus enabled 
to capture a very large number of vessels, though, with 
single-minded purpose, as his object was to stop the 
slave-trade, he endeavoured to take them before they 
got their slaves on board. Soon after the brig had 
brought up, about four miles from the shore, Captain 
Tucker ordered the boats to be hoisted out, and to 
be fitted for service during an absence of three days. 
While this work was going forward, a canoe was ob- 
served paddling off from the shore towards the ship. 
On her coming alongside, she was proved to contain 
two natives of great consequence, it seemed, judging 
from their costume — that is to say, if scarlet dresses, 
or rather wrappers, round the loins, and ornamented 
caps, might be admitted as tests of rank. They came 

* Now a retired Commander. 



164 LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 

up the side without hesitation ; and after some cross- 
questioning, they informed Captain Tucker that they 
had seen a fine schooner, under American colours, 
up the river Nun, and that from her appearance and 
movements there could be no doubt that she was a 
slaver. The promise of a reward induced them, with 
negro eagerness, to undertake all Captain Tucker pro- 
posed, to act as spies, and to bring further informa- 
tion about the vessel, and then to perform the part of 
pilots in conducting her, when captured, down the river. 
This information, which it was hoped was correct, hur- 
ried the departure of the boats. Lieutenant Dumaresq 
took charge of the pinnace, as commanding-officer of 
the expedition ; Mr Arthur B. Kingston, then a mate, 
had the cutter ; and Mr Thorburn, another mate of 
the ' Wolverine,' went in the gig. Water, provisions, 
and arms having been placed in the boats, and all 
being ready, they shoved off from the ship at half-past 
ten in the morning. 

Lieutenant Dumaresq had one of the black pilots in 
his boat, and Mr Kingston had the other with him. 
Sometimes sailing when there was a breeze, and at 
others, when it fell light, the crews, eager for work of 
some sort, pulling away with a will, they soon reached 
the mouth of the River Brass. The river is here pretty 
broad ; its banks, as far as the eye can reach, covered 
with tall mangroves, their dark foliage imparting a 
sombre and almost funereal aspect to the scenery. 
After the boats had pulled about ten miles up the 
Brass, they reached a sort of natural canal, which 
connects the Brass with the Nun, After they had 
passed through this, and had entered the Nun, they 
hove-to for dinner — a meal not at all unwelcome after 



LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 165 

their long pull. When the crews were refreshed, they 
again bent to their oars, and proceeded about thirty 
miles up the Nun. Darkness now rapidly came on, and 
they were no longer able to see ahead, nor had they 
been able to discover anything of their looked-for prize. 
On questioning their black volunteer pilots, the worthy 
gentlemen seemed very uncertain, not only whether the 
slaver had sailed, but where she had been, and where 
they then were. One declared that they had come 
much higher up than where she was last seen, and that 
she had probably been sheltered from their observation 
in one of the numerous creeks which run through the 
banks of the river. In this dilemma a council of war 
was held ; and at first it was proposed to retrace their 
steps, till the elder of the black pilots offered to take a 
small canoe they had with them higher up the river, 
to ascertain whether or not the slaver was there. This 
proposal being agreed to by Lieutenant Dumaresq, the 
two negroes pulled away, and were soon lost in the 
darkness, not without r some slight misgivings as to 
whether or not they would ever return. However, to 
pass the time during the absence of the negroes, they 
piped to supper. A small portion only of the ship's bis- 
cuit and salt pork had been discussed, and a glass of 
grog had just been served out all round, when the canoe 
was seen gliding at full speed out of the darkness, the 
dip of her paddles just breaking the stillness of the night. 
"Well, my man, any news of the slaver?" asked the 
lieutenant in an eager whisper, for the return of the 
canoe gave him hopes that a prize was at hand. " Ship 
live there," answered the elder black, in the clear and 
distinct tones in which his race can speak, but still only 
in a whisper. No sooner was this announcement made 



166 LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 

than the oars were got out simultaneously, and at a 
word from Lieutenant Dumaresq, the boats went ahead 
like magic. Not a word except the necessary ones of 
command was uttered. Every one knew the importance 
of silence. The three boats, urged on by their eager 
crews, advanced all abreast at full speed. Ten minutes, 
or little more, were sufficient to show the dark outline of 
a schooner, masts and spars relieved against the starry 
sky. Silent as the grave, the boats pulled on — their oars 
so carefully dipped, that scarcely a plash was heard. 
Those on board the schooner slept, or seemed to sleep, 
for not a sound was heard from her decks. A slaver's 
crew, however, conscious of the risks they are running 
in their nefarious traffic, are seldom off their guard, 
and the British seamen were fully prepared for a re- 
ception with a shower of grape and musketry. Yet, 
without a thought of the consequences, on getting close 
to her, on they dashed with a cheer, and in another 
instant were alongside and scrambling up her sides. So 
unexpected had been their attack, that not an attempt 
at resistance was made ; and, to tfye no small delight 
of Lieutenant Dumaresq and his followers, they found 
themselves in possession of a fine little schooner, which 
proved to be the i Lark,' with a crew of no less than 
thirty Spaniards. They were first all properly secured 
and sent down below, with orders to behave themselves, 
and a hint that, if they did not, it would be the worse 
for them. 

A slaver's crew have a right, it is understood, to 
try and retake their vessel without being treated as 
pirates, and hung in case they do not succeed, or are 
afterwards captured ; so it becomes necessary to keep 
a very sharp look-out after them. Her papers were 



LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 1G7 

at the same time secured, and, on her circumstances 
being investigated, not a doubt remained as to her 
character. 

Bending sails, and getting all ready for an early 
start, occupied some time, when the watch being set, 
with strict orders to keep a wakeful eye on the prisoners, 
the rest of the party lay down on the sails, and were 
soon sound asleep. 

At early dawn all hands were roused up, and the 
schooner was very soon got under weigh. There was 
little or no wind to fill her sails, so the boats' crews 
had to tow her down the river, hoping to find a breeze 
as they got near the mouth of the river to take her 
out. Nine miles of their distance had been thus ac- 
complished, when, at about seven o'clock, as she was 
passing through a long reach of the River Nun, a sail 
hove in sight, which was soon discovered to be a 
rakish two-topsail schooner. She stood boldly on up 
the river towards the barracoons, either not observing 
the little 'Lark,' or at all events not suspecting into 
whose hands she had fallen. Lieutenant Dumaresq on 
this instantly ordered the man-of-war boats to be 
hauled up alongside of the schooner on the opposite 
side to that on which the stranger was, so that she 
should not observe them, and, by taking fright, endea- 
vour to make her escape. At the same time the pin- 
nace and gig were manned, and held in readiness (the 
crews being well armed) to board the schooner, Mr 
Kingston receiving orders to remain in charge of the 
' Lark,' with the cutter's crew. On slowly came the 
stranger, the light wind only just enabling her to stem 
the current. She seemed totally unconscious of the 
neighbourhood of her enemies. On a sudden something 



168 LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 

seemed to awaken her suspicions ; and Lieutenant 
Dumaresq, judging that the best time had arrived for 
taking possession, shoved off and pulled towards her 
as fast as the crews could lay their backs to the oars. 
Mr Kingston meantime was left in command of the 
c Lark,' with the cutter's crew ; Mr Thorburn accom- 
panying their leader. Away went the boats. The 
stranger now, for the first time, was aware of her 
danger, or rather certainty of capture, unless she 
could blow the approaching boats out of the water ; 
but of attempting to do so with any chance of success, 
she could have had but slight hopes, as she saw that 
the ' Lark' was in the hands of her enemies, and she 
could not tell how many people might be remaining on 
board, to avenge the destruction of their comrades. 
Still, slavers, when they have seen a chance of success, 
have often fought desperately ; and the cutter's crew 
on board the ' Lark' watched with deep interest the 
approach of the two boats to the big schooner, not 
knowing what moment she might open her fire on 
them ; but the slaver's crew had not even the brute- 
like courage to induce them to fight in defence of their 
accursed calling, and, without firing a shot, they allowed 
the two boats to come alongside. Once with their 
boat-hooks having a firm hold of the slaver's chains, 
the British seamen very quickly scrambled on board. 
The crew, who were chiefly Spaniards, made no opposi- 
tion, nor did a number of other people, who, dressed 
in shore-going clothes, announced themselves as pas- 
sengers. There was certainly a wonderfully sea-going 
look about them, though they all seemed very anxious 
to leave the vessel as fast as possible. Now, as the 
consequences of detaining people against their will are 



LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 169 

often very disagreeable, Lieutenant Dumaresq, what- 
ever might have been his suspicions, thought it best to 
allow the gentlemen to take their departure. It was 
afterwards discovered that the fellows, who were all of 
them belonging to the slaver's crew, took on shore a 
very considerable number of doubloons, which form in 
general the most valuable portion of a prize, unless 
she has her cargo of slaves on board ; the slave-vessel 
herself and her stores rarely sell for much. What was 
called head-money has of late years been reduced to 
one-fourth of what it was formerly. The new prize 
proved to be the ' Asp,' a fit name for a slaver, though 
she was now effectually deprived of her sting. As soon 
as she was thoroughly overhauled, and all her forth- 
coming papers secured, the Spanish crew were sent 
below, and the man-of-war's boats began towing the 
two schooners down the river. It was laborious work, 
after the incessant labour for so many hours the men 
had gone through; but a prize tows easily, and the 
gallant fellows cheerfully bent to their oars. Thus the 
two vessels proceeded on rapidly between the man- 
grove-covered banks of the river. By five p.m. the 
entrance of the Nun appeared in sight, and prepara- 
tions were instantly made for crossing the bar, — I must 
rather say, bars, for there are three, one within the 
other, at some distance apart ; and over them, when the 
current sets out and the wind blows in, the sea breaks 
with great violence, so that, under those circumstances, 
the crossing them, even in a decked vessel, is a work of 
very considerable danger. On this occasion appear- 
ances were far from favourable : the wind was foul, and 
blowing very strong ; a heavy sea was breaking over 
the bars — its incessant roar seeming like a warning not 



170 LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 

to venture into its power ; while evening was rapidly 
closing in, the coming darkness threatening to increase 
the difficulties to be encountered. Still Mr Dumaresq 
was unwilling to expose his followers to the baneful 
atmospheric influences of another night spent within 
the mouth of the river, or to the chances of attack 
from any of the slavers' friends who might be in the 
neighbourhood, and who would always be ready to 
win back a prize at any sacrifice of the lives of the 
captors ; though that was a contingency not likely to 
happen. He was rather influenced probably by his 
anxiety to secure his prizes, and to report his pro- 
ceedings ta his superior officer. The schooners had 
anchored just inside the inner bar, and all the necessary 
preparations having been made, and the tide serving, 
they again got under weigh. Mr Dumaresq led in the 
'Asp,' directing Mr Kingston to follow in his wake. 
This Mr Kingston did, approaching the bar on the 
starboard-tack, the 'Lark' leaving the cutter towing 
astern, and her own boat, which could not be hoisted 
up on account of the tackles being unrove, and a net 
full of vegetables being worked athwart the davits. 
Neither could her boat be got on board, on account of 
the crowded state of the decks. As the ' Lark' drew 
close to the bar, the appearance of things in no degree 
mended. Hands were placed in the chains, who kept 
the lead constantly going ; and, as the water shoaled, 
the schooners had to tack repeatedly, wearing some- 
times, as the heavy swell threatened otherwise to 
prevent their coming round. From the first, Mr King- 
ston had but little confidence in the black volunteer 
pilot who had accompanied him on board the ' Lark ;' 
and now, though he urged him by threats to perform 



LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 171 

the duty he had undertaken, and tried to stimulate him 
to exertion, by reminding him of his promised reward, 
he only answered, " This is no my bar ! " and finally 
threw himself down on the deck, under the bulwarks, 
refusing to take any further charge of the vessel. It 
must be remembered that the boats had entered the 
Niger by the Brass river, the bar of which was his bar, 
and that he had bargained to act as pilot through its 
mouth, so that there was ample excuse for the poor 
wretch: this, however, in no degree lessened the danger 
of the position in which the little 'Lark' was placed. 

It was now perfectly dark and very squally, while 
nothing was visible to mark the course the vessel 
should pursue, but the phosphorescent light of the 
breakers stretching across the bar from shore to shore, 
while to all appearance there seemed to be reef only 
beyond reef, destruction on which it was scarcely pos- 
sible the schooner could escape. Though the 'Lark' 
was pressed to the utmost, the ' Asp' soon distanced 
her ; and though Lieutenant Dumaresq showed lights, 
they were of little or no use in guiding her course. 
Squall after squall struck the little schooner, and as 
she heeled over, it sometimes appeared that she would 
never again rise, or be able to beat out through the 
tremendous surf which came rolling in. At length 
Mr Kingston judged it wise to shorten sail, which he 
forthwith did, having set only his mainsail, jib, and 
fore-and-aft foresail (fore-trysail). He also sent a 
good hand on the fore-yard to look out for any break 
which might happily appear in the white wall of surf 
which came rolling in over the surrounding shoals. 
The little ' Lark ' had now reached the innermost of 
the three bars, and was pitching into the seas, which 



172 LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 

came foaming up and rolling over her decks. She had 
the cutter towing after her, and astern of that was the 
schooner's boat. That very soon began to fill, and 
finally swamped, when it became necessary to cut her 
adrift. This was done, and she quickly disappeared. 
At about a quarter to eight a blue light was observed 
close to windward ; and as the i Lark ' was wearing 
off the heaviest part of the bar, some voices were heard 
hailing her. It was soon discovered that they pro- 
ceeded from the pinnace, which had apparently several 
hands in her. Again they hailed, imploring to be 
picked up, stating, as far as could be understood, that 
they had broken adrift from astern of the ' Asp ' with 
the gig, which was lost ; and from the words which 
reached the 'Lark,' Mr Kingston was very much 
afraid that several lives were already lost, while it 
seemed too probable that those in the pinnace would 
share the same fate, unless he could manage to get 
near them to take them on board. Not a moment 
was to be lost. The pinnace, it must be understood, 
was inside the ' Lark,' higher up the river, the 4 Lark ' 
having passed her after she had broken adrift from 
the ' Asp.' In another minute she would have drifted 
among the breakers, when the destruction of all on 
board would be sealed. To pick her up under weigh 
was almost impossible ; and, with the tide and heavy 
sea, the schooner could not be steered with any de- 
gree of certainty even near her ; and could even this 
be done, the probabilities were that she would be 
swamped before the men could be got out of her. The 
young officer therefore saw that but one course only 
was open for him to pursue with any chance of suc- 
cess, and that involved immense risk both to the vessel 






LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 173 

and his people. To think is to act, with a British 
seaman in a case of emergency. He saw that to in- 
tercept the boat, he must anchor ; and having both 
anchors clear, and a hand by the weather one all along, 
he ordered it to be let go, though he had but two 
fathoms at the time under the vessel's keel ; while the 
surf from the second bar was curling up round the 
vessel's sides, threatening to make a clear sweep of 
her decks. His order to let go was perhaps not un- 
derstood, or the Spanish crew, some thirty in number, 
who seeing what was about to be done, and expect- 
ing instant destruction in consequence, endeavoured to 
impede it ; at all events, he had to rush forward and 
cut the stoppers with an axe, which he luckily had at 
hand. 

The schooner brought up all standing, the sea at 
the same instant making a terrific breach over her ; 
but the helmsman was a good hand, and sheered her 
over to the exact spot the pinnace must pass. The 
whole was the work of a moment. The boat drifted 
near, a rope was hove into her and providentially 
caught by the nearly exhausted crew. She was hauled 
alongside, her people being got out, while some fresh 
hands went down into her and secured her with her 
own cable and the end of the schooner's main-sheet. 
At the same time the schooner's fore-sheet was passed 
into the cutter as a preventer. Four men were saved 
from the pinnace. They stated that she and the gig 
had been towing astern of the ' Asp,' with two hands 
in each, when, on crossing the inner bar, they both 
broke adrift together. Instead, however, of the two 
men in the pinnace getting into the gig, which they 
might have managed, those in the smaller got into 



174 LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 

the larger boat, fancying they would be safer, when 
they found themselves totally unable to pull her against 
the tide, or to guide her to shore. The ' Lark' very 
soon after this began to drive, when the other anchor 
was dropped under foot, while they veered away on 
the larboard cable. She now held, but the breakers 
made a clean breach over her decks, washing adrift 
the numerous casks, loose spars, fowl-coops, and a 
variety of other things ; and in addition, what was 
worse than all, a large scuttle-butt of palm-oil. Mean- 
time, to increase the confusion and danger, the cutter 
and pinnace were striking the stern and quarters of 
the vessel with great force, often coming as far forward 
as the main-chains on both sides. The Spaniards had 
from the first been very unruly, and they now gave 
symptoms of an intention of breaking into open mutiny. 
In addition, therefore, to the variety of other duties 
the British seamen were called on to perform, it be- 
came necessary for them to keep their arms in readi- 
ness, to repel any sudden attack the fellows might 
venture to make on them for the purpose of regaining 
the schooner. The palm-oil, also, which is like very 
thick, red mud, had coated the whole deck, from before 
the foremast, nearly as far aft as the mainmast, making 
it more slippery even than ice, so that no one could 
either stand or walk on it. The water also had no 
effect on its greasy composition, and as there were no 
ashes on board to strew over it, one part of the deck 
became almost separated from the other. The Spaniards 
were evidently watching their opportunity, and kept 
eyeing the British seamen with no friendly intentions. 
They were four to one of them, and though deprived 
of their muskets and cutlasses, they had still the long 



LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 175 

knives in their belts, without which no Spaniard ever 
thinks his costume complete. The wretches kept up 
such a hubbub, and did so much to impede the work 
of the vessel, that some of them very nearly got shot 
as a hint to the rest of what they might expect if they 
proceeded to extremities. The gallant young officer 
himself had little fear of what they might venture to 
do, as, considering the dilemma the vessel was placed 
in, surrounded by shoals, with heavy breakers close at 
hand, and in thick darkness, they could scarcely hope 
to get out to sea and escape that way; or, if they 
returned up the river, to avoid recapture, should they 
regain possession of the vessel. In obedience, however, 
to his written instructions, he kept some of his people 
under arms to watch the fellows. For full half an hour 
the little schooner lay in this way, it being expected 
every instant that her anchors would part, when a 
roller, more severe even than the others, threw the 
cutter on board on the larboard quarter, breaking the 
bunk adrift and capsizing it. As the vessel rose again, 
the boat fell aft and immediately filled, when she was 
of necessity cut adrift to prevent her doing more 
damage ; and as soon as this w T as done she sank. 

Shortly after this the squalls began to become less 
frequent, and the breakers moderated gradually ; an 
opening also was seen in the line of sparkling foam 
from the fore-yard ; so Mr Kingston resolved to make 
sail and to get out of the river. He contrived to 
weigh the starboard or lee anchor, after very many 
fruitless attempts to do so, on account of the heavy 
surges; but as it was found impossible to purchase 
the weather one, it was slipped, and the schooner wore 
round under her jib in a quarter less two fathoms. 



176 LIEUTENANT ARTHUR BURRARD KINGSTON. 

A sharp-sighted seaman stood on the fore-yard, from 
whence he conned the vessel — the lead -kept going as 
before. The mainsail was then set, and the schooner 
stood out towards the opening which appeared in the 
surf. She obeyed her helm readily, the rocks and 
shoals were avoided, and at length the outer bar was 
safely passed. At about ten p.m. she came up with 
the ' Asp,' anchored a short distance outside. Lieu- 
tenant Dumaresq stood with speaking-trumpet in hand, 
and hailed the ' Lark ' — " I'm glad you've got out safe ; 
but I fear four of my poor fellows are lost, and our 
two boats." " They're safe on board, and I've your 
boat in tow," was the answer. A loud congratulatory 
cheer from the British seamen on board the 'Asp,' 
signified their satisfaction at the success of Mr King- 
ston's gallant exploit. He then anchored, and going 
on board the 'Asp,' was further thanked and con- 
gratulated by his superior officer ; for he had not only 
given up all hopes of the people in the pinnace and 
gig having escaped, but of the ' Lark ' herself, as the 
vessel had had a most perilous passage across the bars. 
She had struck three times, in one of which shocks the 
boats had broken adrift. The two schooners again 
weighed and ran down to the ' Wolverine,' lying off 
the Brass, ten miles distant. On their arrival, Mr 
Kingston had the satisfaction of receiving the warmest 
approval of his excellent commander for the gallantry 
and judgment he had displayed, The vessels were 
afterwards sent to Sierra Leone, where they were con- 
demned and cut up. 



BOY'S LIFE SAVED BY LIEUTENANT A. B. KINGSTON. 177 
BOY'S LIFE SAVED BY LIEUTENANT A. B. KINGSTON. 

Mr Kingston having taken the i Lark ' schooner to 
Sierra Leone, where she was condemned, was appointed 
to H.M.S. ' Saracen,' which soon afterwards arrived 
there. From that place the ' Saracen ' sailed for the 
river Gambia, soon after the 2d of March. 

On the evening of the 13th of the same month, while 
on her passage there, when it was blowing fresh, with 
a heavy cross sea, a lad, aged nineteen, named John 
Plunket, fell overboard from the main-top-gallant-yard. 
In falling he struck against the topsail-yard and the 
sweeps stowed on the quarter, and was bleeding at the 
mouth, and almost senseless, when he reached the 
water. The lad could not swim, and his death seemed 
inevitable ; when Mr Kingston, who was on the quar- 
ter-deck, without a moment's hesitation sprung over- 
board, exclaiming to his commander as he ran aft, 
" Send a boat as quick as you can, sir — I'll save him." 
He struck out bravely towards the poor lad, but before 
he could reach him, he sank. A cry of horror arose 
from all on board, for they thought the lad was lost, 
though every exertion was made to get a boat in the 
water to pick up Mr Kingston. Plunket, however, 
again rose, and Mr Kingston grasping hold of him, 
supported him above water, though with much diffi- 
culty, as the lad, who bled profusely from the mouth 
and nostrils, convulsively clung round him, and almost 
dragged him down to the bottom. Fortunately, he 
released himself from the clutch of the now senseless 
youth, and continued to support him by swimming and 
treading water. For fear of exhaustion, he afterwards 
threw himself on his back, and placing the head of his 

M 



178 LIEUTENANT F. H. STEVENS. 

almost inanimate shipmate on his chest, he kept him up 
for a quarter of an hour, till a boat reached them, and 
took them on board. 

On another occasion, while on the coast of Africa, 
in a spot where sharks were known to abound, Mr 
Kingston leaped overboard after another lad who had 
fallen into the water. Fortunately the life-buoy was 
let go at the same time, and wisely catching hold of it, 
he towed it up to the sinking youth, and providentially 
preserved his life. 



MR HENRY SHEA, ASSISTANT- SURGEON, R.N., 
MEDITERRANEAN. 

July 1837. 

On the 8th July, as H.M.S. c Asia' was standing out 
to sea from Cagliari, in Sardinia, a seaman named 
Anthony W. jumped overboard in a fit of drunkenness ; 
and while the ship was being hove-to, Mr Henry Shea, 
assistant-surgeon, dropped himself from the spanker- 
boom into the sea, and after struggling with the man, 
succeeded in keeping him above water until the boats 
reached them. 



LIEUTENANT F. H. STEVENS, R.N., MEDITERRANEAN. 
August 1837. 

On the 5th August 1837, H.M.S. < Rodney' was on 
her passage from Palmas Bay (Sardinia) to Minorca, 
when a seaman, named James Ray, fell from the main- 
topsail-yarclarm into the sea. On the cry being raised 



WILLIAM JENNINGS, COAST GUARD BOATMAN. 1 79 

of u A man overboard !" Mr P. H. Stevens, mate, see- 
ing the man floating past the quarter in a state of 
insensibility, without waiting to take off his clothes, 
jumped overboard, and by great exertion kept him 
above water until the boat reached them. 



LIEUTENANT JOHN STEPHENS, R.N., LISBON. 

December 1837. 

On the 3d December 1837, an alarm was given on 
board H.M.S. ' Inconstant,' at Lisbon, of a man over- 
board. Mr John Stephens, mate, ran to the spot whence 
the person fell, plunged overboard, dived, and succeeded, 
after much danger and difficulty, in bringing him from 
a considerable depth to the surface of the water ; both 
were carried by the tide a long way astern of the ship. 
Mr Stephens found it difficult to support the man, and 
both were sinking, when William Henry White, sea- 
man, fearlessly plunged from the topsail, swam to their 
relief, and supported them in the water, until a boat 
reached them. 



WILLIAM JENNINGS, COAST GUARD BOATMAN. 
November 1838. 

On the 27th November 1838, the brig < Beliissiina,' 
from Odessa to Amsterdam, was driven, during a 
heavy gale of wind, on the rocks, a mile and a half to 
the westward of Looe. She was breaking up fast, 
and her crew were evidently getting disheartened, when 
William Jennings, commissioned boatswain of the Coast 



180 INSTANCE OF COURAGE AND HUMANITY. 

Guard, at the risk of his life, nobly swam off to the 
rock with a rope, and by throwing it to the vessel, 
the crew, thirteen in number, were enabled to get to 
the rock, from which they were taken by a boat, carried 
overland from Looe by the indefatigable exertions of 
several inhabitants of that town. 



INSTANCE OF COURAGE AND HUMANITY. 

During a severe storm in autumn of 1839, a French 
vessel was wrecked in the dead of night in Weymouth 
Bay. A Coast Guard man, named John Mantle, think- 
ing he saw human beings moving on the deck, jumped 
into the raging sea and swam to her. On getting on 
board, he found two boys and the captain, who had 
broken his leg, on the deck. Mantle took the boys 
safely to shore, and then returning to the wreck with 
a rope, which was made fast to the shore, he slung the 
captain in a running-tackle, and he was safely landed. 
The gallant fellow then groped in the cabin, to find if 
any living being remained, and afterwards jumped into 
the sea, and swam to the shore in safety. He was 
rewarded by the Humane Society and Lloyd's, and 
received a beautiful watch, with a suitable inscription, 
from the inhabitants of Weymouth, £20 by vote of the 
Lords of the Treasury, and £5 from the Shipwrecked 
Mariners' Society, besides being promoted in the ser- 
vice ; all which honours he received with great modesty, 
declaring that the result of his endeavours was his 
richest reward. 



MR RICHARDS, OFF BRIGHTON. 181 



ARTHUR HASSETT, BOATMAN, COAST GUARD, COVE OF 

CORK. 
October 1839. 

On the 24th October 1839, Ralph Allen fell from the 
Revenue Quay into the water in the harbour of the 
Cove of Cork, when a strong ebb tide was carrying 
him off. Arthur Hassett, revenue boatman, saw the 
accident, jumped in with his clothes on, and brought 
Allen safe to shore. Hassett had on three previous 
occasions been instrumental in saving life at the risk of 
his own. 



COMMANDER ALDR1DGE, R.N., VASIKA BAY. 

October 1839. 

On the 4th October 1839, John Burke, a seaman, be- 
longing to H.M.S. ' Pembroke,' commanded by Captain 
Moresby, then lying in Yasika Bay, fell overboard, and 
the man being unable to swim, was in the act of being 
carried away by the current. Commander Aldridge 
of the c Pembroke,' observing from the poop the inevit- 
able fate of the seaman, leaped from thence a height of 
thirty feet into the sea, and succeeded in saving him. 



MR RICHARDS, R.N., OFF BRIGHTON. 
June 1842. 

On the morning of the 13th of June 1842, Mr Matthew 
Richards, about seventeen years of age, and Acting 
Master's Assistant of H.M.'s brig 'Nautilus,' jumped in 
the most gallant manner from the hammock-netting of 
that vessel into the sea off Brighton, and saved the life 



182 MR THOMAS DAVIS AND JOSEPH BRATHWAITE. 

of a boy who had fallen overboard. The boy was un- 
able to swim, and, being exhausted by his struggles, 
was sinking at the moment Mr Richards arrived to his 
rescue. The crew were cleaning decks at the time, 
and the noise consequent upon that operation prevented 
the boy's cries from being heard ; it would, therefore, 
have been impossible to have cleared away a boat in 
sufficient time to have saved him. 



JAMES DORAN, SEAMAN. 
January 1843. 
On the 5th of January 1843, James Doran, an able 
seaman of H.M.S. ' Vanguard,' at Port Mahon, perilled 
his own life to save that of a shipmate, in a manner 
that called forth the admiration of the whole of the 
officers and crew of that ship. It blew a violent gale 
of wind at N. by E. ; the topmasts were struck, and 
when at its greatest fury, a man fell overboard who 
could not swim. James Doran gallantly dashed into 
the sea, and succeeded in bringing the poor fellow 
alongside, although he was quite dead from the effects 
of his submersion. 



MR THOMAS DAVIS, MATE, R.N., AND JOSEPH BRATH- 
WAITE, SEAMAN, R.N., BANTRY BAY. 

January 1844. 

In the month of January 1844, ELM.'s steamer 'Flainer ' 
was lying at anchor in Bantry Bay, when the jolly-boat 
belonging to that vessel was capsized through the boys 
letting go the brails too soon, while in the act of wear- 



MR W. C. GEARY, MATE. 183 

ing. The life of one of the boys was saved through the 
coolness of Mr Thomas Davis, mate of the ' Flamer,' 
who was in the boat at the time. Instead of swimming 
for the ship, he remained with the boy until assistance 
reached him. 

Joseph Brathwaite, sailmaker, seeing the other boy 
was sinking, instantly jumped overboard and brought 
him on board in a senseless state. He had on a pre- 
vious occasion been the means of saving two lives. It 
was blowing very hard at the time, which rendered 
their services more difficult. 



MR W. C. GEARY, MATE, R.N., GULF OF EGINA. 

August 1844. 

On the 24th August 1844, a tender belonging to 
H.M.'s surveying-vessel ' Beacon,' in charge of Mr W. 
C. Geary, mate, was occupied in taking soundings in 
the Gulf of Egina. In reefing the mainsail, the iron 
strop round the gaff, to which the peak-halliards are 
hooked, was carried away, and the gaff, in descending, 
struck John M'Cardle, seaman, who was standing to 
leeward, so violently on the head, that he was stunned, 
and fell overboard. Mr Geary, who was abaft, imme- 
diately jumped after him, and getting hold of him under 
his arm, succeeded in keeping his head above water 
until picked up by a boat sent from the vessel. 



184 LIEUTENANT WILLIAM E. FISHER. 



LIEUTENANT F. P. WARREN, R.N., IN MADRAS ROADS. 
June 1845. 
On the 9th of June 1845, John Newman, seaman, serv- 
ing on board H.M.S. ' Fox,' in the Madras Roads, fell 
from the mizen-topsail-yard overboard, whilst exer- 
cising, striking in his descent the davit-guy, breaking 
both collar-bones, and bruising his head ; and in this 
state most probably would have been drowned, had it 
not been for the prompt assistance afforded him by 
Lieutenant F. P. Warren, R.N., who sprang into the 
water, and succeeded in sustaining the man above the 
surface until a boat picked them up. The usual heavy 
Madras swell was running at the time. 



LIEUTENANT WILLIAM E. FISHER, R.N., COYE OF CORK. 
November 1845. 

On the night of the 17th November 1845, a seaman, 
one of the gig's crew of the ' Crocodile,' flag-ship at 
the Cove of Cork, when walking on the stage leading 
to the ' Fredonia,' merchant-vessel, alongside of which 
his boat was temporarily made fast, having slipped, fell 
into the river, a strong tide and heavy sea on at the 
time, the night dark, and blowing a terrific gale. Mr 
W. E. Fisher, senior mate of H.M.S. ' Crocodile,' the 
officer in charge of the boat, observing that the man 
was stunned from the fall, and unable to assist himself, 
leaped from the deck of the c Fredonia,' swam to his 
assistance, and with great exertions brought him on 
shore in a senseless state. It was a considerable time 
before the man recovered, and the gallant officer was 
so much exhausted that it nearly cost him his life. 



COMMANDER WOOLDRIDGE AND MR BIRTWHISTLE. 185 

LIEUTENANT HENRY W. HIRE, R.N., MEDITERRANEAN. 

December 1845. 

On the 12th December 1845, William Richardson, 
A.B., of H.M.'s steam-sloop ' Hecla,' was washed off 
the forecastle whilst securing the anchor, between the 
islands of Cyprus and Rhodes ; a heavy sea was running 
at the time. The ship was backed and stopped within 
a short distance of the unfortunate man, who was then 
exhausted, and on the point of going down, when Mr 
Henry W. Hire, first -lieutenant, in a most gallant 
manner, at the risk of his own life, jumped overboard, 
and supported him until a boat was lowered that 
picked them both up. 



COMMANDER WOOLDRIDGE AND MR BIRTWHISTLE, 
MATE, R.N., SHEERNESS, 

June 1845. 

On the 9th June 1845, whilst at anchor off Sheerness, 
one of the seamen, when reefing, owing to a point 
slipping through his" hand, fell from the fore-topsail- 
yard of H.M.S. ' Spy ' overboard, striking the fore- 
rigging and spars in the chains, broke his arm, and 
received violent contusions in many parts of his body. 
Lieutenant-Commander Wooldridge, being on deck and 
seeing the man sinking, jumped after him, dressed as 
he was, with the hope of getting a rope round him ; 
finding, however, when he was in the water, from having 
heavy clothes on and a thick pair of wash-deck shoes, 
and not being a very good swimmer, he was too heavy 
to trust himself too near a sinking man, he swam round 



186 LIEUTENANT NEWMAN. 

him, occasionally lifting him, and encouraging him by 
talking to him. Mr Birtwhistle, mate, the moment he 
saw the danger, threw off his jacket and shoes, and 
sprang after them, and being a strong swimmer and 
disencumbered, kept the man up. The tide was run- 
ning very strong at the time, and they had thereby 
drifted about four times the ' Spy's' length from her, 
when they were all eventually picked up in a very ex- 
hausted state by a boat crossing the harbour. 



LIEUTENANT NEWMAN, R.N., AND BOAT'S CREW, COAST 
GUARD, DUNGENESS. 

January 1846. 

The 'New Flora,' pilot-boat of Dover, was wrecked 
at Dungeness on the 22d January 1846. On the cir- 
cumstance being made known to Lieutenant Newman, 
R.N., of the Dymchurch Coast Guard station, by one of 
the men who had providentially succeeded in swimming 
on shore through the surf, he proceeded immediately to 
the spot, and ordered his boat to be drawn round by 
land, a distance of a mile and a half, to a convenient 
place for launching, where she was manned by the 
lieutenant with a hardy crew of five men. After buf- 
feting for some time with the waves, they succeeded in 
reaching the ill-fated vessel, and found the boats washed 
away, and the crew, consisting of five men, obliged to 
take to the rigging, the sea making a clean sweep over 
her, and thereby rendering it very hazardous for the 
galley to approach. The gallant commander and tars, 
nothing daunted, determined to rescue their fellow- 
creatures, which they ultimately effected. 



COMMANDER J, W. FINCH. 187 

MR F. S. GIBSON, R.N., GRAND BASSA, AFRICA. 
January 1846. 

On the 12th of January 1846, while crossing the Grand 
Bassa, in Liberia (Africa), one of the ' Lily's' boats, 
containing Mr F. S. Gibson, paymaster and purser, and 
five other men belonging to the said sloop, was pulling 
for the mouth of the river; and when in the act of 
crossing the bar, the rollers broke heavily, and the sea 
washed over the stern of the boat and capsized it. Soon 
after the accident, one of the crew, James Monk, was 
missing ; when Mr Gibson plunged in, dived, and, with 
the greatest difficulty and exertion, swam with him to 
the boat, very much exhausted. 



LIEUTENANT TATHAM, R.N., CHATHAM. 

April 1846. 

On the night of the 22d April 1846, a marine fell into 
the river Medway from H.M.S. 'Raleigh,' and was 
rescued by the timely assistance of Lieutenant Edward 
Tatham, who leaving his bed, lowered himself down 
the vessel's side, and supported the man (who had 
also hold of a rope) until a boat picked up both in an 
exhausted state. 



COMMANDER J. W. FINCH, R.N., PORTSMOUTH. 

July 1846. 

On the 16th July 1846, as James Bradford, a seaman, 
was casting loose the frapping of the jolly-boat on the 



188 MR CHARLES E. H. FARRANT. 

starboard quarter of the ' Naiad,' sixty-four gun frigate, 
under the command of Lieutenant J. W. Finch, the 
boat swung or heeled over, and the man fell over the 
bows into the water at a time when the tide was run- 
ning with unusual strength out of the harbour, and the 
wind blowing nearly half a gale. The cry of " A man 
overboard !" was instantly raised ; when Lieutenant 
Finch, who was in his cabin dressing at the time, 
looked out and saw the man struggling with the tide. 
He threw off what garments encumbered him, and 
plunged through the port into the water. At this 
time, Bradford had sunk twice, and was carried at a 
rapid rate from the ship, being no swimmer. Mr 
Finch, however, followed, and persevered in his humane 
exertions to save the man's life, in which he happily 
succeeded, after being in the water a quarter of an 
hour, and got his man (to all appearance dead) on 
board a victualling -hoy, where the usual remedies were 
applied. 

This was not the first time Mr Finch had similarly 
risked his own life to save that of his fellow-creatures. 
In 1840, he, assisted by three others, saved the crew of 
a vessel wrecked off Seaham, and received the honorary 
bronze medal of the Royal Humane Society. 



MR CHARLES E. H. FARRANT, MASTERS ASSISTANT, 
R.N., VALPARAISO. 

September 1848. 

On the 5th September 1848, at five a.m., whilst H.M.S. 
' Samson ' was at anchor off Valparaiso, James Smith, 
private marine, then engaged stopping his hammock on 



LIEUTENANT SHERARD OSBORNE. 189 

the gantlin, lost his balance, and fell overboard. It 
being quite dark at the time, and he not able to swim, 
with a heavy swell and a set of current out of the bay, 
he was carried away from the ship ; when Mr F arrant, 
master's assistant, mate of the watch (a young officer 
only seventeen years of age, and at sea for the first 
time), ran to the sponson, and observing that the man 
was in imminent danger, instantly jumped overboard 
into thirty fathoms water, and swam to his assistance. 
Some minutes elapsed before Mr Farrant could reach 
him. He at length succeeded in getting hold of the 
man, and had made considerable progress on his return 
to the ship with him, when a boat reached him, but not 
until after he had been taken twice or thrice under 
water, through the man clinging so closely to him. 



LIEUTENANT SHERARD OSBORNE, R.N., PORTSMOUTH. 

September 1848. 

On the 20th September 1848, while H.M.S. 'Dwarf' 
was fitting out in the basin of Portsmouth Dockyard 
(the depth of water at the time being twenty- seven 
feet), the attention of Lieutenant Sherard Osborne was 
suddenly drawn to the cry of "A boy overboard!" 
when, without the slightest preparation, but with his 
full uniform on, including his sword, he jumped in, and 
catching at a rope (which, however, proved not to be 
made fast to the vessel), he saved a second-class boy 
of the same ship, who, but for the gallant conduct 
of Lieutenant Osborne, must inevitably have been 
drowned. 



190 MR JOHN HUGGINS. 

HENRY LAUGHRIN, BOATSWAIN'S MATE, H.M.S. 
' CALLIOPE,' RIO DE JANEIRO. 

November 1848. 

On the 1st of November 1848, Captain Edward 
Stanley, of H.M.S. 'Calliope,' whilst returning from 
the shore to his ship in his gig, was upset, together 
with the rest of his boat's crew, owing to the boat 
being caught aback in a sudden squall ; when Henry 
Laughrin, boatswain's mate of the same ship, gallantly 
jumped overboard at the risk of his own life, and saved 
Captain Stanley, whose life was greatly endangered 
(though an expert swimmer) by a man clinging to him. 
Several of the boat's crew were also rescued by the 
noble conduct displayed by Laughrin. 

This was the third instance of Laughrin's courage 
and humanity, he having saved the lives of two ship- 
mates in the years 1845 and 1848. 



JOHN HUGGINS, QUARTERMASTER OF H.M.S. ' SCOURGE,' 
TRINIDAD, ETC. 

February 1849. 

In February 1849, whilst H.M.S. 'Scourge' was at 
anchor off the island of Trinidad, a boy named Thomas 
Burgess, of the same ship, fell overboard ; when John 
Huggins, quartermaster, prompted by the most gallant 
spirit, instantly jumped overboard, and, by diving, 
fortunately rescued the boy from drowning, but not 
without encountering very great risk of his own life, 
owing to the number of sharks which infest those 
waters. Independent of this gallant act, Huggins, 



COMMANDER OLIVER JONES. 191 

during his short career at sea (beiDg still a very young 
man), had, by his humane and meritorious conduct, 
been fortunate enough to save at different periods 
eleven lives. 



COMMANDER J. W. TARLETON, R.N., GENOA. 

March 1819. 

On the 21st March 1849, a seaman named Hayes, 
whilst employed painting ship at Genoa, fell overboard, 
and not being able to swim, would inevitably have been 
drowned before assistance could have reached him, but 
for the intrepid and gallant conduct of Commander 
J. W. Tarleton, R.N., of H.M.S. 'Vengeance,' who 
instantly jumped overboard from his cabin-port and 
succeeded in saving the poor fellow from a watery 
grave ; and he was promptly got on board again, to the 
delight of all hands. The praiseworthy and noble act 
obtained for Commander Tarleton the admiration of 
every one in the ship. 

He had previously received the thanks of the American 
Government for his exertions in 1847, when he went to 
the assistance of the crew of the U.S. brig ' Somers/ 
which foundered off the port of Vera Cruz. 



COMMANDER OLIVER JONES, R.N., COVE OF CORK. 
March 1849. 

On the 24th March 1849, as H.M.S. < Ganges' was 
lying at the outer anchorage of the Cove of Cork, 
Edward Galloway, a seaman belonging to that ship, 



192 LIEUTENANT C. S. STANHOPE. 

fell from the futtock-shrouds into the water, striking 
several times against the rigging and the ship's sides, 
when Lieutenant Oliver Jones immediately ordered 
Fisbee's life-buoy's ropes to be thrown to him ; but the 
man, who was stunned by the fall, was unable to avail 
himself of the use of them, and sank in between nine 
and ten fathoms ; upon which Lieutenant Oliver Jones, 
in the most gallant manner, at great risk of his own 
life, leaped overboard, and dived after him, and brought 
him up in a state of insensibility, and held him until 
further assistance was procured. But for the prompt 
and spirited conduct of this officer, the man's life would 
have been lost. 

Lieutenant Oliver Jones had previously saved the 
life of a seaman belonging to H.M.S. 'Melville,' in 
Halifax harbour, on the 4th June 1837. 



LIEUTENANT C. S. STANHOPE, R.N., H.M.S. 'ASIA,' AT SEA. 

August 1850. 
On the 7th August 1850, on the passage from Val- 
paraiso to Pisco, in lat. 19° south, and long. 75° west, 
about six p.m., while exercising furling sails, two men 
fell overboard from the main-topsail-yard. One of 
these men caught hold of a rope and was saved unhurt; 
the other man in his fall struck his head against the 
main channel, and fell into the water senseless, but not 
dead. 

Lieutenant C. S. Stanhope, being then on the poop, 
saw his helpless state, and immediately, with great 
coolness and excellent judgment, jumped into the main 
channel, and thence overboard, to save the wounded 
man from drowning. 



LIEUTENANT SAUMAREZ. 193 

Lieutenant Stanhope, supporting the man in the 
water, swam with him to a life-buoy, which had been 
let go on the first alarm, where he remained with the 
man until brought on board by the boats which were 
lowered. 



MR T. H. JULIAN, SECOND-MASTER, R.N., PLYMOUTH. 

July 1851. 

On the 15th July 1851, a boy named Stephens, 
belonging to H.M.S. ' St George,' at Hamoaze, fell 
overboard, and, as the tide was running strong, he soon 
drifted away. A seaman named Boyd jumped after 
him, but not being able to swim, could render little 
assistance ; both being therefore in a perilous situa- 
tion, Mr T. H. Julian, second-master, the officer of the 
watch, gallantly plunged overboard, and providentially 
sustained them until rescued by a boat when at a 
considerable distance. 

Mr Julian was full dressed. This was not the first 
instance of his gallant and humane conduct. 



LIEUTENANT SAUMAREZ, R.N., H.M.S. ( VOLCANO,' OFF 
SIERRA LEONE, AFRICA. 

March 1851. 

On the evening of the 31st of March 1851, a seaman 
named Sullivan, of H.M.S. ' Volcano,' fell overboard off 
Sierra Leone, while under weigh. Lieutenant Saumarez, 
who was in the gun-room at the time, on the alarm 
being given, instantly rushed on deck, jumped over- 

n 



194 MR SKEAD AND MR LAMBE. 

board, and succeeded, after much difficulty, in rescu- 
ing him. Lieutenant Saumarez has, in several instances, 
displayed similar acts of bravery in saving the lives of 
his fellow-creatures. 



CHARLES LOXTON, SAILMAKER's MATE, H.M.B. ' ROLLA,' 

DOVER. 

August 1851. 

On the 26th of August 1851, while H.M.'s brig < RohV 
was proceeding into Dover Roads, at a distance of six 
miles from shore, and going at the rate of four knots, 
with studding-sails set on both sides, a naval apprentice, 
in descending from the main rigging, accidentally fell 
overboard ; when Charles Loxton, a sailtnaker's mate, 
gallantly jumped overboard, and succeeded in reaching 
him, and, after severe exertion, swam with him to the 
line of the patent log which was towing astern, where 
he continued to hold the boy with cool presence of 
mind until assistance arrived. The crew being at 
breakfast, a quarter of an hour elapsed before the ship 
was rounded to and a boat lowered, and, when hauled 
in, Loxton was completely exhausted. 



MR SKEAD, SECOND-MASTER, AND MR LAMBE, MIDSHIP- 
MAN, R.N., OF H.M.S. ' TRAFALGAR,' OFF MALTA. 

1852. 

On the afternoon of the 5th of February 1852, while 
H.M.S. ' Trafalgar,' Captain Grenville, was going 
through a heavy sea off Malta, Mr Sheepshanks, a 
cadet, lost his balance while skylarking on the poop, 



MR WARD. 195 

and fell from the upper-stern gallery into the sea. 
The alarm was instantly given, when the second-mas- 
ter, Mr Skead, plunged from the gun-room port, and, 
picking up a chair that had been thrown overboard, 
he swam towards the drowning lad. On his approach, 
the boy, exhausted, gave a scream, and sank ; but 
quickly rising, Mr Skead was enabled to push the 
chair within his grasp, and, throwing himself on his 
back, he continued to support him until assistance 
arrived. In the meantime, Mr Lambe, midshipman, 
jumped off the poop, a height of upwards of forty 
feet, and ultimately succeeded in saving his little mess- 
mate and Mr Skead, who, from his great exertions, 
was taken into the boat in a state of convulsions. 

On being asked by Captain Grenville, why he had 
encountered so much danger, Lambe gallantly replied, 
" Oh, sir, young Sheepshanks is the pet of the mess ; 
we could not afford to lose him, at any rate !" 



MR WARD, BOATSWAIN, R.N., H.M.S. ' GLADIATOR,' 
AFRICA. 

1851. 

On the coast of Africa, the 28th May 1851, W. 
M'Carthy, a seaman belonging to H.M.S. ' Gladiator,' 
fell from the fore-sponson overboard. Mr Ward, 
boatswain, ..without a moment's hesitation, gallantly 
plunged after him, and, although the ship was going 
at the rate of nine knots an hour, succeeded in hold- 
ing him above water until assistance arrived; this 
making the ninth person Mr Ward, by his intrepidity, 
has rescued. 



196 LIEUTENANT PYNE. 

COMMANDER ALLAN H. GARDNER, H.M.S. ' WATER WITCH,' 

AFRICA. 
1851. 

On the 7th of October 1851, at eight p.m., as H.M.S. 
1 Waterwitch ' was anchoring at Monrovia, on the west 
coast of Africa, a boy named Clarke fell overboard 
out of the fore-rigging. Commander Gardner, though 
dressed in heavy blanket clothes and thick boots, im- 
mediately jumped overboard and saved the boy. There 
was a strong tide running, and it was perfectly dark. 
The boy's struggles were so great, and so much time 
elapsed before assistance could reach ,them, owing to 
the sailors being aloft furling sails, that they were 
both in the act of sinking, and Captain Gardner was 
taken up almost lifeless. 



LIEUTENANT PYNE, R.N., H,M.S. 'PRINCE REGENT,' LISBON. 

December 1851. 

On the 26th of December 1851, at Lisbon, a seaman 
named Edward Clements let go his hold on the mainyard, 
and fell with a fearful crash on the lower-port deck, and 
from thence overboard. Mr Frederick Pyne, mate of 
the upper-deck, immediately sprang from the starboard 
gangway after him, and swam to his assistance, but, 
having on the whole of his uniform, had great difficulty 
in keeping Clements up. The only boat near was 
Captain Halstead's gig, which was on the port side. 
He sank twice, the poor fellow he supported being so 
heavy from the effects of the fall. Captain Caldwell, 
seeing the danger of both officer and man, plunged in 



COMMANDER TARLETON. 197 

to their aid ; and by this time the dingy and Captain 
Halstead's gig rescued them from their perilous situa- 
tion. This is the third instance in which Mr Pyne has 
been the means of rescuing a fellow -creature under 
similar circumstances. 



MR SULLIVAN, MIDSHIPMAN OF H.M.S. l MEG^ERA,' 
AT SEA. 

1852. 

On the 29th of May 1852, four days after the depar- 
ture of H.M.S. ' Megasra ' from St Vincent, an act of 
great daring was performed. The ship was going seven 
knots through the water, when William Tizzard, cap- 
tain of the fore-top, in the performance of his duty, 
unfortunately fell overboard from the mainyard. Mr 
Sullivan, midshipman of H.M.S. 'Megaera,' with all his 
clothes on, immediately jumped from the poop, a height 
of twenty feet, into the sea, and happily succeeded in 
seizing the man, who could not swim, conveying him 
to a life-buoy, and keeping him above water until they 
were both secured by the ship's boats. 



COMMANDER TARLETON, H.M.S. ' FOX,' RANGOON. 

1852. 

On Saturday morning, the 2d of October 1852, a 
seaman, whilst employed in painting the ship at Ran- 
goon, missed his footing and fell overboard ; and not 
being able to swim, must have perished, but for the 
promptitude and humanity of Commander Tarleton, 



198 COMMANDER TARLETON. 

of H.M.S. ' Fox/ who instantly jumped from his cabin 
window, and succeeded in saving the poor fellow from 
a watery grave. 

This was the second occasion on which Commander 
Tarleton saved a seaman's life under similar circum- 
stances. 



ENGAGEMENTS WITH PIRATES 
AND SLAYERS. 



LIEUTENANT F. J. D'AGUILAR DEFEATS AN ATTEMPT TO 
RETAKE A PRIZE CAPTURED BY H.M.S. l GRECIAN,' 
BRAZIL. 

1848. 
The ' Grecian ' having captured a clipper Brazilian 
hermaphrodite brig, with nearly 500 slaves on board, 
Lieutenant D'Aguilar was placed in charge of her as 
prize-master, with ten men, and ordered to proceed to 
Bahia, the sloop following him thither. The prize duly 
arrived, and anchored at Bahia before the ' Grecian,' 
and not the slightest suspicion was entertained but that 
she was safe. In the course of the day, however, Lieu- 
tenant D'Aguilar received some hints to the effect that 
a combination was being made on shore among the 
slavers to attempt to retake the prize ; and although 
nothing definite was communicated, it was sufficient 
warning to him to be on the alert, and to take precau- 
tions which saved him and his men from being mas- 
sacred. The evening passed off without disturbance, 
but about ten o'clock at night, several boats from the 
shore were seen pulling for the brig, containing, it was 
estimated, 150 Brazilians. As they neared the prize, 
they were hailed, and ordered to keep off, but with some 
boldness they advanced alongside. Having approached 



200 ENGAGEMENTS WITH PIRATES AND SLAVERS. 

too near to be agreeable, Lieutenant D'Aguilar endea- 
voured to check them by a discharge of musketry ; and 
this commenced a most severe conflict, as the fire was 
returned by the pirates as they dashed alongside and 
attempted to board. That firmness and undaunted 
bravery, however, which is characteristic of British sea- 
men, was here displayed in an eminent degree; and 
the Brazilians, with their overpowering numbers, were 
completely beaten off by Lieutenant D'Aguilar and his 
little band, with a loss, on the enemy's side, it is said, 
of upwards of ten killed and thirty wounded. As may 
naturally be supposed, where the contest was one at 
close quarters, and where each of the gallant defenders 
had so many assailants to wait upon, they did not come 
out of the melee unscathed. Scarcely one of them 
escaped a mark, and several of them were severely 
wounded. Lieutenant D'Aguilar received many hurts 
about the head. It subsequently transpired that it was 
the intention of the Brazilians to have silently got along- 
side the vessel, and to have secured the prize-crew. 
They would then have cut the cables and made sail, to 
land the cargo of slaves at another part of the coast. 
This affair was the theme of general applause in the 
squadron on the station. 



THE AFRICAN COAST BLOCKADE, 



CHASES AND CAPTURES OF SLAVERS, AND GALLANT 
DEEDS PERFORMED BY THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF 
THE SQUADRON. 

Since the settlement of Europeans on the continent of 
America and the West Indian Islands, a trade in slaves, 
brought from the African coast across the Atlantic, 
has existed to a less or greater extent. 

On the 25th of March 1807, the royal assent was 
given to the Bill for the Total Abolition of the British 
Slave-Trade on and after the 1st of January 1808. 
At first only a penalty in money was exacted from 
those convicted of slave - dealing ; but this of course 
being found inefficient, in 1811 slave-dealing was made 
punishable by transportation for fourteen years. This 
being afterwards discovered to be a most inadequate 
check, the offence was declared in 1824 to be piracy, 
and the punishment death. This law continued in 
force till 1837, when the punishment inflicted on British 
subjects for trading in slaves was changed to trans- 
portation for life. 

A squadron of small vessels, supposed to be suited 
for the purpose, was forthwith equipped and sent out 
to the African coast to capture slavers wherever they 
could be found north of the equator, either embarking 



202 AFRICAN COAST BLOCKADE. 

their cargoes or prepared to receive them, or with full 
ships, or up rivers on the coast, or out at sea. 

We give a few accounts of the chases and captures 
of slaves by the ships of the squadron, to show some 
of the work the officers and men of the navy are called 
on to perform. 

In the year 1848, H.M.S. 'Bonetta,' Commander 
Forbes, formed one of the northern division of the 
squadron on the west coast. 

Returning from Sierra Leone on the 31st of May, 
standing in for the land about Gargwa, the ' Bonetta' 
chased a schooner, and in about four hours brought 
her to, when she proved to be the Brazilian slave- 
schooner 'Phoco-foo' (which means lighthouse). Her 
crew had perfectly cut her to pieces : all her masts 
were sprung, and so much damage had been done that 
a party of officers sent on board to survey condemned 
her. Having removed the crew, a train was laid, and 
having set fire to both ends, she scarcely touched the 
shore when she blew up ; but continued burning nearly 
all night. This was a vessel fully equipped for the 
trade, but with no slaves on board. 

On the morning of the 12th of June, owing to the 
prevalence of strong currents and light winds with a 
heavy swell, the ' Bonetta' had drifted so close to the 
land between Manna and Gallinas, that at four a.m. it 
was deemed prudent to anchor. A few hours after 
daylight a boat was seen pulling for Gallinas. Im- 
mediately sending another in chase, they were both 
soon alongside the brigantine, now under weigh, and 
the boat proved to be one from a slaver in the offing, 
sent in to make arrangements for the cargo. 

By information derived from this boat's crew, it 



AFRICAN COAST BLOCKADE. 203 

appeared that their vessel would stand out for a time, 
but that on a certain day she would be off Little Cape 
Mount. Acting upon this information, a sharp look- 
out was kept, and on the morning of the 19th, at 
daylight, a schooner was in sight. The wind being 
very light, she was scarcely visible from the deck; Mr 
Smallpage (midshipman) being therefore detached in 
the gig, after a pull of nearly fifteen miles, he succeeded 
in capturing a schooner, claiming the protection of no 
flag, with all fittings necessary for the slave-trade. 
She was called the ' Tragas Millas.' 

The next prize was descried at daylight on the 
28th of June, haying Cape Mount Bay under her lee. 
Her captain preferred trying to cross the bows of the 
' Bonetta' to the chance of being embayed ; accordingly 
they neared each other on opposite tacks, each carry- 
ing studding-sails. As it was suspected from his 
object that the chase was a superior sailer, a cannonade 
was opened upon her, and so effectually, that after 
four shots she hove-to. The prize's crew was im- 
mediately removed, though scarcely in time ; one shot 
had passed completely through her, and tumbling right 
over, she nearly capsized the boat, which was bearing 
the last of the crew. This vessel, the 'Andorimha,' 
Brazilian, fully equipped for the slave-trade, had first 
passed into the most southern part of the coast on the 
5th of May, but was chased from thence by a steamer. 
On the 3d of June she again put into Ambriz, but a 
second time escaped, after being chased. Finding this 
part of the coast too well guarded, she made a voyage 
of about 1500 miles, and sent a boat into the Pongos 
to arrange the cargo again. She was chased, and 
running from Charybdis, this time fell upon Scylla. 



204 CAPTURE OF BRAZILIAN SLAVER < FIRME.' 

On the 10th of August, after a run of about seven 
hours, and firing three blank-cartridges, the * Bonetta' 
captured a schooner, the 'Alert.' She was under no 
flag, and had recently been bought for Don Jose Luiz, 
the factor at Gallinas ; for whom, besides a full equip- 
ment for the slave-trade, she had a quantity of wine 
and other articles. 

On the 5th of September^H.M.S. < Sealark' chased 
a schooner beyond the limits of her station, when about 
half-past three p.m. she was descried and taken posses- 
sion of by the < Bonetta.' She proved to be a vessel 
called the l Louiza,' and her supercargo (who passed 
for one Don Jose Segui) was one of the most notorious 
slave-dealers on the coast. His name was Theodore 
Canot, a Florentine by birth, but American, French, 
or English, when either suited. If all the horrible 
murders said to have been committed by this miscreant 
are true, he must have been the most atrocious of 
mankind. While a factor at Cape Mount, almost a 
hundred human beings are said to have fallen victims 
to his avarice ; nor were all these negroes, but many 
of them white men. 



CAPTURE OF BRAZILIAN SLAYER 'FIRME' BY THE BOATS 
OF H.M.S. ' DOLPHIN.' 

1840. 

At daylight on the 30th May 1840, the ' Dolphin' 
being under easy sail off Whydah, a brigantine was 
observed on the lee-bow. All sail was immediately 
made in chase ; but as the stranger increased her dis- 
tance, the cutter, a twenty-foot boat, with nine men, 



CAPTURE OF BRAZILIAN SLAVER ' FIRME.' 205 

including the officer, and the gig with six, were de- 
spatched at half-past six o'clock, under command of 
Mr Murray and Mr Rees, to endeavour to come up 
with and detain the chase before the setting in of the 
sea-breeze. Both boats being soddened from constant 
blockading, pulled heavy, and the crews had been em- 
ployed during a squally, rainy morning in trimming 
and making sail; but after a harassing pull of two 
hours and a half under a hot sun, they came up with 
the chase, the gig being rather ahead. The brigantine 
bore down upon her, opening a sharp and continued 
fire of musketry, which was returned, w T hen both boats, 
after steadily reloading under her fire, cheered and 
boarded on each quarter. The sweeps of the brigan- 
tine were rigged out, which prevented their boarding 
by the chains, thereby rendering it difficult for more 
than one or two to get up the side at a time. 

Mr Murray was the first on board; and though 
knocked back into the boat with the butt-end of a mus- 
ket, which broke his collar-bone, he immediately clam- 
bered up the side again, in which act his left hand was 
nearly severed at the wrist with the blow of a cutlass. 
Another cut was made at his head, which he parried, 
cutting the man down. The bowman of the gig was 
shot through the heart while laying his oar in, and the 
bowman of the cutter in getting up the side. After a 
resistance of twenty minutes, the vessel was captured, 
most of the crew running below, firing their muskets as 
they retreated. 

Mr Rees had previously proved himself a most zeal- 
ous and active officer, particularly in the destruction of 
the slave factories at Corisco, by the boats of the ' Wol- 
verine,' Captain Tucker. 



206 voyage of the ( dores.' 

voyage of the ' dores,' a slaver captured by h.m.s. 
' dolphin,' from accra to sierra leone, under 
Command of lieutenant Augustus c. Murray. 
From 12th August 1840 to 5th January 1841. 

The ' Dores,' a schooner of about sixty feet in length 
and fifteen in breadth, had been taken at Quittah in 
June, and sent in charge of the ' Dolphin's ' gunner to 
Sierra Leone. Six weeks afterwards she was found 
about twenty miles below Accra, having performed 
scarcely thirty miles of her passage, and lost almost all 
her prize-crew, including the gunner, from fever. Mr 
Murray, who had but just recovered from wounds 
received in the action with the ' Firme,' was then put 
in command of her, with a crew of two men, two boys, 
and a prisoner boy, the only one who had survived the 
fever. 

His orders were to proceed to Sierra Leone ; and 
the indomitable perseverance with which he adhered to 
them, through formidable dangers and difficulties, to- 
gether with his care for the men under his command 
during a voyage of 146 days, are well worthy of being 
recorded. 

The only cabin which was at all habitable was eight 
feet in length, five in height at the centre, and three 
at the sides, the breadth decreasing from eleven to 
two and a half. It was entirely destitute of furni- 
ture, swarming with vermin, and before the end of the 
voyage the fumes of the rotting tobacco, with which 
the vessel was laden, clinging to the beams, formed a 
coat nearly an inch in thickness. This, with an awning 
of monkey-skins, manufactured by themselves, was the 
only refuge for the young officer and his men. The 






VOYAGE OF THE l DORES.' 207 



fourth night of the voyage was ushered in by the most 
fearful squalls, which gradually freshened till about two 
in the morning, when a tremendous storm came on, and 
obliged them to bear up under bare poles ; the seas 
washing over the little vessel, and the wind blowing in 
the most terrific manner until about seven, when it 
moderated and fell calm. The schooner was then 
observed to float much deeper than before, and on 
sounding, nearly three feet water were found in the 
hold. The pump was immediately set to work, but 
it hardly fetched when it broke and became useless. 
This was repaired by about sunset, and in two hours 
afterwards the vessel was cleared. They then made 
sail and tacked, steering for Sierra Leone, till, on the 
morning of the 14th of September, they sighted land 
just below the River Sestos. Finding that they had 
but three days' provisions left, the commander deter- 
mined to make them last for six, and stood on, in the 
hope of weathering Cape Palmas. This was baffled by 
a tide that set down along shore ; but, on the 20th 
of September, they anchored off Cape Coast Castle. 
Having no provisions remaining, the governor supplied 
them directly with sufficient for forty days ; and having 
refitted, the schooner put to sea again on a close, sultry 
morning, which was succeeded by a violent gale, last- 
ing three days. About two o'clock one afternoon, a 
rakish-looking brigantine was perceived standing to- 
wards the ' Dores ;' and judging her to be a slaver, the 
young officer called his crew together, and having 
loaded the muskets and got the cutlasses ready, they 
silently awaited her coming up, determined to defend 
themselves. To their great joy, when she got within 
two miles and a half of them, a strong breeze sprang 



208 VOYAGE OF THE ' DORES.' 

up, which placed the schooner dead to windward, and 
in the morning the brigantine was out of sight. Their 
sails were now so worn that they were obliged to lower 
them, and drift about for a whole day to repair them. 
Having neither chronometer nor sextant, and only a 
quadrant of antique date, often ten and even twenty 
miles out of adjustment, the position of the vessel could 
only be guessed. The men behaved admirably during 
this weary time, employing themselves in cleaning their 
arms, fishing, or mending their clothes. The rain 
generally fell in torrents till the 4th October, when the 
day closed in with very heavy appearances. All pre- 
parations were made for the coming gale ; all the sails 
were lowered down but the fore-staysail, and everything 
lashed and secured. The fore-staysail was kept up 
to place the schooner dead before it. 

At about five in the evening the gale began ; it be- 
came dead calm, the atmosphere close, and all around 
dark. After about half an hour, a sound like heavy 
thunder was heard in the distance, and through the 
gloom a bank of foam was seen hastening towards the 
schooner ; in a few minutes the staysail was stowed, 
and the wind caught her, gradually freshening until 
it burst upon her in all its fury ; the rolling sea broke 
in upon her, and completely filled her upper-deck : but 
the side bulwarks were open, and the sea found vent. 
Having battened his crew down below, Mr Murray 
lashed himself to the deck, and steered the vessel through 
the storm, which continued with heavy thunder and 
torrents of rain till about two in the morning, when, 
completely exhausted, he fell asleep, and was aroused 
by the crew (who, having knocked once or twice with- 
out reply, believed him to have been washed overboard) 



VOYAGE OF THE t DORES.' 209 

hammering at the skylight to get out. This gale so 
strained the schooner that the water gained to two 
feet a day ; and, to add to their disasters, one of the 
crew was ill for a fortnight. From the 10th of Octo- 
ber till the 4th November, when land was again dis- 
covered, the ' Dores ' continued her course for Sierra 
Leone, experiencing the whole weight of the rainy 
season. It now became evident that she could not 
stem the current ; and that in the course of many days 
she had not made more than four or five miles. Mr 
Murray then determined to try again to reach Cape 
Palmas, by standing along the land ; and thus nearly 
incurred a new danger from the natives, who assembled 
on the beach, armed with pikes and clubs, as night 
drew on, prepared to attack the schooner should she 
run on shore. Happily a slight breeze sprung up, 
which gave her steerage way, and enabled her to draw 
off the land. No resource remained but to shape her 
course again for Cape Coast Castle to obtain provi- 
sions, their stock being exhausted. The governor made 
every effort to prevail on Mr Murray to relinquish the 
undertaking, which now appeared so hopeless ; but he 
was resolute in staying by the charge entrusted to him ; 
and calling his men together, he gave them the choice 
of going on shore to await a passage down to the 
' Dolphin.' With one consent they replied that they 
would never leave him ; holding to the old feeling of 
a true seaman, never to leave his officer at a time of 
difficulty till death parts him. Their provisioning was 
just completed, when a fatal accident diminished the 
number of the crew. They had been bathing after 
their day's work, and one of them, a black, was still in 
the water, when he was seized by a shark, and so fear- 

o 



210 VOYAGE OF THE c DORES. 

fully injured that he died before he could be got on 
board. The weary voyage recommenced, and, as before, 
their chief diversion was fishing. The sharks, skip- 
jacks, dolphins, and bonetas which were caught were 
counted by hundreds, for they literally sailed through 
a sea of fish. Two parrots had been added to their 
crew, and were a great amusement, becoming so tame 
that they would obey their master's call, and follow 
him afterwards through the streets like dogs. The 9th 
of December was marked by a serious disaster. Seeing 
a huge shark alongside, they had fastened a boneta as 
a bait to a piece of small line, and made a running 
bowline in the end of the peak-halliard with the fish 
towing a little ahead of it ; the shark immediately saw 
and swam after it ; they were already on the bowline 
to run him up the side with his head a little out of 
water ; gliding silently along, not two feet from them, 
he came up to the bowline, which was held wide open, 
while the bait was quietly hauled ahead until he was far 
enough through it, then, giving a sudden jerk on it, 
they closed it just behind the two side-fins and tried to 
catch a turn with the rope ; but, quick as lightning, 
the shark gave a terrific plunge and tore it through 
their hands, when Mr Murray unfortunately got in the 
middle of the coil, and as the men had all let go, it had 
got a half-hitch round his leg, and in an instant he was 
draw T n up and over the gunwale. Catching at the peak- 
halliards, which were belayed close to him, he held on 
with his only sound hand as he was flying overboard, 
the men also seizing him by the arm. Before he could 
be extricated, the limb was severely injured and torn. 
The only remedy which could be applied was bathing 
it in oil. 



VOYAGE OF THE * DORES.' 211 

In the meantime the ; Dores' progressed, though very 
slowly; she had become much more leaky, the cargo 
was completely rotten, and the stench drove them all 
on deck ; nor could they heave a particle of it over- 
board, for then the vessel would have capsized, as she 
had no ballast in. The sails were perfectly rotten, so 
bad that the vessel was often a whole day without a 
stitch of canvas set when the wind fell light, that they 
might be repaired with monkey-skins, of which there 
was a good stock on board. 

The fourth month closed, and the schooner had not 
yet performed a voyage of ten days, from seven to 
fifteen miles a day being the progress lately made ; but 
now the current seemed to favour her, for a change of 
forty miles a day was observed in the latitude, and the 
hearts of officer and men grew lighter, notwithstanding 
their miserable plight, always wet to the skin, and un- 
able to change their clothes for days together. Two 
terrific storms were still to be encountered; and, at 
the commencement of the second, Mr Murray sent the 
men below, and remained alone on the deck, which 
he never expected to leave alive. The heat of each 
flash of lightning was felt as if from a fire ; the rain 
falling in torrents, leaked in every direction through 
the deck, and the schooner was fast filling with water. 
At length the rain ceased, and the lightning became 
fainter, when they made sail again, pumped out, and 
proceeded till they had made sufficient northing for 
Sierra Leone. They then bore up east, and, on the 
31st December, the colour of the water showed that 
they were nearing the land. On this day they kept 
their Christmas, and many were the hearty toasts they 
drank to those at home. It was not till the 6th Janu- 



212 CAPTURE OF AN ARMED SLAVER. 

ary, 146 days from the commencement of their voyage, 
that they anchored off Sierra Leone, where it was fully 
believed that they were lost. Here Mr Murray found 
his promotion awaiting him for the capture of the 
' Firme,' and was at once invalided home. 



CAPTURE OF AN AHMED SLAVER BY A FOUR-OARED GIG, 
UNDER COMMAND OF MR TOTTENHAM, MATE. 

1844. 

On the 13th of August 1844, Mr John Francis Tot- 
tenham, mate of H.M.S. 'Hyacinth,' Commander Scott, 
performed a gallant and dashing exploit, which ob- 
tained for him his promotion to the rank of lieutenant, 
and the testimony of his commander to the coolness, 
decision, and gallantry displayed by him on the occa- 
sion. When off Fish Bay, on the west coast of Africa, 
Mr Tottenham was sent in a four-oared gig, with one 
spare hand, to communicate with the Portuguese Go- 
vernor. The weather became thick, and he missed his 
port ; but, knowing that the ' Hyacinth' was working 
along the coast, anchored for the night, and pulled to 
the southward. On the morning of the 13th, he dis- 
covered a brig at anchor without colours, and saw her 
slip and make sail, on which he gave chase. Being to 
windward, and the breeze light, he was enabled to ap- 
proach her weather-beam, and fire a musket ahead, to 
induce her to heave-to and show her colours. This and 
a second were disregarded ; but a port was opened and 
a gun run out, and brought to bear on the boat, which 
caused the officer to pull into her wake, when part of 
the crew of the brig commenced firing musketry, while 



LIEUTENANT LODWICK'S ATTACK ON A SLAVER. 213 

the others got the gun on the poop, and pointed it at 
the boat. 

Mr Tottenham now commenced firing, as fast as the 
spare hand could load for him, being just able to keep 
way with the brig. 

Having hit four of the men on board, they left the 
gun, and, after firing muskets for twenty minutes, find- 
ing they were unable to weather the land or tack with- 
out being boarded by the boat, they ran the brig on 
shore, and abandoned her to the number of eighteen, 
including three wounded men, leaving another mortally 
wounded on board. 

In the course of the afternoon the brig was perceived 
from the masthead of the ' Hyacinth,' which stood in 
and anchored, and hove her off ; when she proved to be 
of 200 tons, fully equipped for conveying about 1000 
slaves, with two guns of four-pounds calibre loaded, a 
barrel of powder and a quantity of langridge-shot, a 
number of muskets, swords, and bayonets on the deck. 
Almost every bullet expended in the gig was traced to 
the gun-carriage, or its immediate vicinity on the poop. 



LIEUTENANT LODWICK'S (iN THE <GROWLER's' PINNACE) 
GALLANT ATTACK ON A SLAVER. 

1845. 

On the 12th of January 1845, Lieutenant Lodwick, 
first lieutenant of H.M.'s steamer ' Growler,' Captain 
Buckle, who had been away for some time cruising in 
the pinnace on the look-out for slavers, fell in with a 
felucca, which, on seeing the pinnace, hove-to ; and the 
officer expected that she would make no resistance, as 



214 LIEUTENANT LODWICK'S ATTACK ON A SLAVER. 

she might have got away if she had chosen. When the 
pinnace, however, was within thirty yards they observed 
a whole range of muskets, fore and aft the felucca. 
After this, Lieutenant Lodwick cheered his men on to 
get up to her before she discharged this fearful bat- 
tery ; but no sooner was the cheer out, than the felucca 
opened on the boat. This was a staggerer for the 
poor boat ; but fortunately this time they fired too high 
(the felucca had now filled, and was going just as fast 
as the boat could pull). Lieutenant Lodwick now re- 
turned this with a round-shot and 180 balls in a bag. 
In the first volley from the felucca the rim of the 
officer's hat was shot through, but their second volley 
told with mortal effect ; two men were shot dead, and 
Lieutenant Lodwick and two men severely wounded — 
the officer having been struck on the left knee and thigh. 
This left the pinnace with so few men that, having had 
six of its oars shot away, it was obliged to leave the 
field, and was picked up by the ' Growler,' standing 
towards the i Gallinas,' boat and gear being literally 
riddled with shot. 

Lieutenant Lodwick was promoted for his gallantry. 
The felucca had been chased by every vessel on the 
coast, and always got away clear. She was afterwards 
captured by a war-steamer, and bore evident marks of 
her conflict with the pinnace. There were about seventy 
men on board — English, French, and Americans — and 
she was commanded by an Englishman. 



CAPTURE OF THE i FELICIDADE ' AND ' ECHO.' 215 

CAPTURE OF THE c FELICIDADE ' AND ' ECHO' SLAVERS, 
BY H.M.S. ' WASP,' AND RECAPTURE OF ' FELICIDADE ' 
BT H.M.S. { STAR.' 

1845. 

As H.M.S. c Wasp,' Captain TTsherwood, was cruising 
in the Bight of Benin, near Lagos, on the 27th Feb- 
ruary 1845, a strange sail was seen, and Lieutenant 
Stupart was immediately ordered in pursuit. At about 
eight o'clock in the evening he came up with her, and 
found her to be the ' Felicidade,' a Brazilian schooner, 
fitted for the slave-trade, with a slave-deck of loose 
planks over the cargo, and a crew of twenty-eight men. 
With the exception of her captain and another man, 
they were transferred to the 'Wasp;' and Lieutenant 
Stupart, with Mr Palmer, midshipman, and a crew of 
fifteen English seamen, remained in charge of the prize. 
On the 1st of March, the boats of the 'Felicidade,' 
under Mr Palmer, captured a second prize, the ' Echo,' 
with 430 slaves on board, and a crew of twenty-eight 
men, leaving Mr Palmer, with seven English seamen 
and two Kroomen, on board the ' Felicidade.' Several 
of the ' Echo's' crew were also sent on board as pri- 
soners, with their captain. The officer and prize-crew 
were overpowered and murdered, and an unsuccessful 
attempt made to gain possession of the i Echo.' The 
' Felicidade ' was seen and chased on the 6th March by 
H.M.S. ' Star,' Commander Dunlop. When she was 
boarded, no one was on her deck, the crew being con- 
cealed below ; and on being found and questioned, they 
stated the vessel to be the 6 Virginie,' and accounted 
for their wounds by the falling of a spar ; but there 
were traces of a conflict, and many tokens which proved 



216 RECAPTURE OF ' FELICIDADE.' 

that English seamen had been on board. She was then 
sent to Sierra Leone, in charge of Lieutenant Wilson 
and nine men. Whilst on the passage, during a heavy 
squall, the schooner went over, filled and sank, so as 
only to leave part of her bow-rail above water. When 
the squall passed, the whole of the crew were found 
clinging to the bow-rail. Some expert divers endea- 
voured to extract provisions from the vessel, but with- 
out success ; and nothing but death stared them in the 
face, as the schooner was gradually sinking. Lieuten- 
ant Wilson ascertained that there were three common 
knives among the party, and it was resolved to make a 
raft of the main -boom and gaff, and such other float- 
ing materials as remained above water. These they 
secured by such ropes as could be cut and unrove from 
the rigging, and a small quantity of cordage was re- 
tained to make good any defects they might sustain by 
the working of the spars ; a small top-gallant studding- 
sail was obtained for a sail ; and upon this miserable 
float the ten persons made sail for the coast of Africa, 
distant 200 miles, without rudder, oar, compass, pro- 
visions, or water. Being almost naked, and washed by 
every wave, their sufferings were very great. Famished 
for food and drink, scorched by a burning sun during 
the day, and chilled with cold during the night, they 
thus remained twenty days. Delirium and death re- 
lieved the raft of part of its load of misery, two blacks 
being the first to sink under their sufferings. The 
question naturally suggests itself, How did the survivors 
support life ? Some persons would be almost afraid to 
put the question, or hear the answer. There is nothing, 
however, to wound our feelings, but much to admire, 
in the admirable conduct of Lieutenant Wilson and his 



_ 



CAPTURE OF A SLAVER BY H.M.S. ' PANTALOON.' 217 

men during these melancholy and miserable twenty days. 
Showers of rain occasionally fell; they caught some 
water in their little sail, which they drank, and put 
some into a small keg, that had floated out of the 
vessel. The sea was almost always breaking over the 
spars of the raft, which was surrounded by voracious 
sharks. The famishing sailors actually caught with a 
bowling-knot a shark, eight feet in length, with their 
bare hands, and hauled it upon the raft ; they killed it, 
drank the blood, and ate part of the flesh, husbanding 
the remainder. In this way three other sharks were 
taken, and upon these sharks the poor fellows managed 
to prolong their lives till picked up (in sight of the 
land) in what may be termed the very zero of living 
misery. Lieutenant Wilson and four seamen survived, 
and recovered their strength. Order and discipline 
were maintained upon the raft ; fortitude, forethought, 
a reliance upon Divine Providence, and good conduct, 
enabled these Englishmen to surmount such horrible 
sufferings, while the Kroomen and Portuguese sank 
under them. 



CAPTURE OF A SLAVER BY H.M.S. ' PANTALOON.' 

1845. 

H.M.S. ' Pantaloon,' ten-gan sloop, Commander Wil- 
son, had been for two days in chase of a large slave- 
ship, and succeeded in coming up with her becalmed, 
about two miles off Lagos, on the 26th May 1845. 
The cutter and two whale boats were sent under the 
command of the first lieutenant, Mr Lewis D. T. 
Prevost, with the master, Mr J. T. Croat, and the boat- 



218 CAPTURE OF A SLAVER BY H.M.S. ( PAHTALOON.' 

swain, Mr Pasco, some marines and seamen, amounting 
to about thirty altogether, to make a more intimate 
acquaintance with the stranger. The pirate gave the 
boats an intimation of what they were to expect as 
they neared, by opening on them a heavy fire of round- 
shot, grape, and canister, in such a spirited style, that, 
after returning the compliment by a volley of musketry, 
the boats prepared for hard work. Animated by the 
show of resistance, each boat now emulated the. other 
in reaching the enemy, the pirate continuing a sharp 
fire as they steadily advanced ; the marines as briskly 
using their muskets. In half an hour from the dis- 
charge of the first gun from the slaver, the boats of 
the ' Pantaloon ' were alongside ; Lieutenant Prevost 
and Mr Pasco on the starboard, and Mr Crout, in the 
cutter, on the port side. The pirate crew, sheltering 
themselves as much as possible, nevertheless continued 
to fire the guns, loading them with all sorts of missiles, 
bullets, nails, lead, etc. ; and, amidst a shower of these, 
our brave sailors and marines dashed on board. Lieu- 
tenant Prevost and his party, in the two boats, were 
soon on the deck of the prize. The master boarded 
on the port-bow, and, despite the formidable resistance 
and danger, followed by one of his boat's crew, actually 
attempted to enter the port as they were firing the gun 
from it. He succeeded in getting through, but his 
seconder was knocked overboard by the discharge. The 
gallant fellow, however, nothing daunted, was in an 
instant up the side again, taking part with the master, 
who was engaged in a single encounter with one or two 
of the slaver's crew. Having gained the deck, after a 
most determined resistance, they now encountered the 
pirates hand to hand, when the cutlass and bayonet 



LIEUTENANT MANSFIELD AND PRIZE-CREW. 219 

did the remainder of the work. Lieutenant Prevost 
finally succeeded in capturing the vessel, but the pirates 
fought desperately ; and it was not until seven of their 
number lay dead on the deck, and seven or eight more 
were severely wounded, that they ran below and yielded. 
In the encounter, two British seamen were killed ; the 
master and boatswain, and five others, were severely 
wounded. Lieutenant Prevost received immediate pro- 
motion. 



LIEUTENANT MANSFIELD AND PRIZE- CREW DEFENCE 

OF THE 'ROMEO PRIMERO AGAINST AN ATTEMPT AT 
RECAPTURE. 

1847. 

On the 22d of July 1847, H.M.S. < Waterwitch,' with 
H.M.S. 'Rapid' in company, captured the Brazilian 
brigantine ' Romeo Primero,' which was subsequently 
given in charge to Lieutenant W. Gr. Mansfield, R.N., 
and four seamen, to be conveyed to St Helena for 
adjudication. Owing to adverse winds, and the un- 
manageable qualities of the prize, the officer in com- 
mand found it necessary to alter his destination, and 
to bear up for Sierra Leone. On the 11th of August, 
about midday, two of the crew being engaged aloft, 
and the others in the bunks, where the arms were 
stowed, the lieutenant being at the moment pulling a 
rope which had been recently spliced, was murderously 
assailed from behind by one of the prisoners, with an 
axe used for chopping firewood. There were four of 
them who were during the day-time allowed the liberty 
of the vessel. At the same moment, the other three 



220 LIEUTENANT MANSFIELD AND PRIZE-CREW. 

prisoners furiously attacked the sailors in the bunks, 
who, from the unexpected nature of the assault, were 
driven from their post wounded and unarmed. Lieu- 
tenant Mansfield, laying hold of a piece of firewood, 
gallantly but unequally contended with a Brazilian 
armed with a cutlass. In the course of a desperate 
struggle, the officer received no fewer than nine wounds, 
more or less severe ; a great-coat which he wore being, 
under Providence, the means of saving him from instant 
death. The two sailors who had been occupied in the 
shrouds having reached the deck, of course unarmed, 
the lieutenant, nearly exhausted by profuse haemorrhage, 
made a violent effort to join them, in which he for- 
tunately proved successful, though in his progress one 
of the prisoners discharged at him a marine's musket, 
the contents of which took effect, inflicting a most 
dangerous wound in his head, and bringing him for an 
instant to the deck. Having succeeded in recovering 
his feet and gaining his men, he encouraged them to 
rush aft upon their armed antagonists, — a piece of 
service which three of their number performed in the 
most daring manner; the fourth seaman (since dead) 
being hors de combat from his wounds, and the lieutenant 
himself fainting at the instant from loss of blood. The 
intrepidity of the three British tars rendered them 
more than a match for their armed antagonists, whom 
they speedily overpowered ; one of the prisoners leap- 
ing overboard and perishing in the waves. Believing 
their officer to be killed, the seamen, in the excitement 
of the moment, were about to hurl the surviving pri- 
soners over the gangway, when Lieutenant Mansfield, 
partially reviving, ordered them to be imprisoned, that 
their wounds should be washed, and that they should 



LIEUTENANT MANSFIELD AND PRIZE-CREW. 221 

be reserved to be dealt with by the authorities at Sierra 
Leone. 

On the 1st of September, the 'Romeo Primero,' the 
scene of this bloody encounter, entered the port. Lieu- 
tenant Mansfield, who, since the day of the conflict, had 
scarcely been able to stir hand or foot, was promptly 
conveyed to sick-quarters, and for many days his life 
was entirely despaired of by his medical attendants. 
The gallant little crew, all wounded, were also looked 
after in the best manner which skill and sympathy 
could suggest ; but two were soon beyond the reach of 
human succour, — one dying of the direct consequences of 
his wounds, and the second of fever induced by them. 
After a fortnight of extreme danger on shore, Lieu- 
tenant Mansfield showed symptoms of recovery, and in 
the same year received the rank of commander. 



GALLANT DEEDS. 



HUMANITY OF LIEUT. BREEN, R.N., H.M.S. i GANGES.' 
Mediterranean, 1850. 

That the seamen of the British Navy are as humane 
as they are brave, we have numberless examples to 
prove. The following is one of numerous instances 
in which they have risked and often sacrificed their 
lives for the good of others, and should on no account 
be passed over. 

As one of the boats of H.M.S. ' Ganges,' forming 
part of the British fleet in the Pirseus, with Lieutenant 
Breen, Mr Chatfield, midshipman, and sixteen men, was 
returning from the shore, laden with water, she was 
swamped and turned over just half-way between the 
< Queen' and the east point of the island of Lypso. 

Mr Breen, Mr Chatfield, and most of the men, im- 
mediately struck out for the island, and reached it. 
The gale increased, and the cold became so intense 
that their clothes were frozen stiff upon them. In the 
morning they could see the fleet, but were unable to 
catch attention by signals. One of the men suffered 
so much from the cold that Lieutenant Breen gene- 
rously stripped off his coat and put it on him. As the 
day closed, most of the men retired into a cave ; but 
Mr Breen separated himself from the others, and was 



CAPTAIN WASEY. 223 

no more seen. On board the ' Ganges ' it was thought 
that they had not pat off from shore ; but next night 
it was known that they had set out, and a boat was 
sent to search. As it was passing by Lypso at dawn 
on the third day, the wrecked boat was accidentally 
descried on the beach. Mr Chatfield and half a dozen 
men were found in the cave in a torpid state ; Mr 
Breen was found dead, crouched under a bush, and 
ten seamen were missing. There is little doubt that 
poor Mr Breen lost his life from his generous act in 
favour of the suffering seaman. The survivors found 
in the cave all recovered. 



GALLANTRY EXHIBITED IN PRESERVING LIFE. 

CAPTAIN WASEY, R.N. 

1860. 

We have already had to describe the bravery and 
humanity exhibited by Captain Wasey on more than 
one occasion, before he attained his present rank ; and 
were it not from his own modesty, we should have men- 
tioned other gallant deeds of his. That gallant officer 
is now Inspecting-Commander of the Coast Guard at 
Fleetwood, Lancashire. 

On the 22d January 1860, the schooner ' Ann 
Mitchell' went ashore near Fleetwood. A new life- 
boat, not long before placed there by the National 
Lifeboat Institution, was immediately launched, when 
Captain Wasey, to encourage the men, went off in 
her. A strong tide was running in, and a hard gale 
blowing from the tv.n.w. It was night. Stronger 
and stronger blew the gale, the sea breaking terrifi- 



224 CAPTAIN WASEY. 

cally on the shore and over the hapless vessel. A 
small steamer was got ready, and took the lifeboat in 
tow. Even thus but slow way was made in the teeth 
of the gale, the tide, and the raging sea. Still the 
steamer persevered. Slowly she gained ground, and 
at length, having got to windward of the wreck, the 
tow-rope was cast off, and the boat proceeded alone 
on her work of mercy. She got within a few yards of 
the wreck, when a tremendous sea rushing in, struck 
her and filled her, breaking some of her oars. At 
that moment it seemed as if the lifeboat herself was 
doomed to destruction. She was but small, pulling 
but six oars, and scarcely fitted for the arduous work 
in which she was engaged. Captain Wasey now an- 
chored, and attempted to veer her down to the wreck, 
but the strong tide running defeated the intention. 
The anchor being then weighed, another attempt was 
made to board the vessel to leeward ; but a heavy sea 
striking her, she was thrown over altogether, her masts 
falling within a few feet of the lifeboat, whose brave 
crew thus narrowly escaped destruction. Again, there- 
fore, Captain Wasey determined to anchor to wind- 
ward, and once more to veer down. This time success 
attended the efforts of the lifeboat's crew ; lines being 
thrown on board the wreck, and secured. One of the 
people from the schooner then threw himself into the 
sea, and was hauled into the boat ; but unhappily the 
others appeared to be either fearful or unable to fol- 
low his example ; and, from the pitchy darkness, and 
the noise of the sea and wind, it was impossible to 
communicate intelligibly with them. Captain Wasey 
learned from the man saved, that three persons re- 
mained ; one — the master — had his back hurt; and 



CAPTAIN WASEY. 225 

another — a boy — his leg broken. While endeavouring 
to carry out their humane purpose, a heavy sea broke 
over both vessel and boat, carrying away the lines, 
and sweeping the boat some 300 yards to leeward. 
Many seamen might have despaired of regaining the 
wreck, but the men of the lifeboat, encouraged by 
their gallant leader, pulled up once more, in the hopes 
of saving the poor fellows on the wreck. Great was 
their disappointment, however, on again getting along- 
side, to discover that the last heavy sea had washed 
them all off. Captain Wasey and his gallant followers 
having done all that men could do, had at length to re- 
turn to the shore with one only out of the four people 
who had formed the crew of the ' Anne Mitchell.' 
They had been thus occupied for nearly nine hours of 
a dark winter's night, with untiring exertion and ex- 
posure. The lifeboat had been launched at six p.m. 
on the 22 d, and did not return to the shore till forty 
minutes past two a.m. on the 2 3d. 

Their labours in the cause of humanity were, how- 
ever, not over for that day. Soon after daylight broke, 
it was reported to Captain Wasey that another vessel 
had apparently sunk on the shoals which surround and 
extend to a long distance from the port of Fleetwood. 
Rising without a moment's hesitation, he summoned 
John Fox, chief-boatman of Coast Guard, and coxswain 
of the lifeboat, with some other men, and two of his 
former crew, James Turner and John Aspingal, fisher- 
men. The lifeboat was once more afloat, and, towed 
for two hours against a strong tide and heavy sea by 
the steam-tug, she at length reached the wreck. She 
proved to be the schooner ' Jane Roper ' of Ulver- 
stone. Her crew, consisting of six men, were in the 

p 



226 GALLANTRY OF LIEUTENANT BOYLE. 

rigging, crying out for aid. Captain Wasey and his 
men happily succeeded in getting them all on board, 
and in landing them safely at Fleetwood. 

On the 19th of February, while it was blowing a 
heavy gale from the n.n.w., with squalls, the schooner 
6 Catherine ' of Newry went on shore, when again Cap- 
tain Wasey went off in the lifeboat, and succeeded in 
saving all the crew. 

On October 20th, 1861, the same brave officer, 
taking command of the lifeboat, was instrumental in 
saving the lives of sixteen persons from the barque 
4 Vermont ' of Halifax, Nova Scotia, wrecked on Bar- 
nett's Bank, three miles from Fleetwood. For these 
and various other similar services, he has received 
several medals and clasps from the " Royal National 
Lifeboat Institution." 



GALLANTRY OF LIEUTENANT BOYLE, R.N. 

Lieutenant the Hon. H. F.Boyle, R.N., chief-officer 
of Coast Guard at Tenby, has likewise much distin- 
guished himself in the same humane manner. 

At daybreak on the 2d of November, the smack 
* Bruce ' of Milford anchored, being totally dismasted, 
about three miles east of Tenby. It was blowing a 
furious gale from the w.s.w., and the sea running 
yery high, threatened every instant to overwhelm the 
smack, or to drive her on the rocks. Lieutenant Boyle 
immediately, on seeing her condition, embarked in the 
Tenby lifeboat, and pulled off towards the unfor- 
tunate vessel. Her crew, three in number, were found 
in an almost exhausted state, and taken into the life- 



GALLANTRY OF LIEUTENANT BOYLE. 227 

boat, which then made for the small harbour of Saun- 
dershott, four miles distant. 

On the 9th of November, at nine p.m., the commence- 
ment of a dark cold night of that inclement season, 
a large brig was observed to go on shore in Tenby 
Bay. The lifeboat, manned by her usual varied crew 
of Coast Guardsmen and fishermen, under the charge 
of Robert Parrott, chief-boatman of the Coast Guard, 
who acted as coxswain of the lifeboat, at once pro- 
ceeded through a tremendous sea towards her, the 
wind blowing a gale from the s.w. The vessel was 
discovered to be on shore, in a peculiar position, on a 
rocky reef, so that she could only be approached from 
to windward. The lifeboat's anchor was accordingly 
let go, with the intention of being veered down to the 
wreck, but a heavy roller striking the boat, carried 
away the cable and broke three of her oars. 

Finding it then impossible to close with the vessel, 
in consequence of her peculiar position and the great 
sea breaking over her, the lifeboat returned to Tenby, 
and Lieutenant Boyle and his crew proceeded to the 
spot with all haste by land with the rocket apparatus, 
and several efforts were made before the party suc- 
ceeded in seeding a line over the wreck, but persever- 
ance crowned their efforts. At length a line was thrown 
and caught by the crew on the wreck ; a stouter rope 
was next hauled on board, and by its means, in the 
course of three hours, the whole of the crew, who 
would otherwise have met with a watery grave, were 
safely landed. The silver medal of the Lifeboat In- 
stitution was awarded to Lieutenant Boyle, and the 
second-service clasp was added to the medal received 
on a former occasion by Robert Parrott. 



228 LOWESTOFT LIFEBOAT. 

LOWESTOFT LIFEBOAT. 

Few boats have been the means of saving more lives 
from destruction than that of the lifeboat belonging to 
Lowestoft, on the Suffolk coast. We will mention a 
few instances to show the way in which the seamen and 
boatmen of that place have risked their lives for the 
sake of those of their fellow-creatures. On the 26th 
of October 1859, the schooner 'Lord Douglas ' parted 
from her anchors in a heavy gale from the south, and 
foundered off the village of Carton, on the Suffolk coast ; 
the crew, as she went down, climbing into the rigging, 
where they lashed themselves. 

The Lowestoft lifeboat proceeded under sail to the 
spot, and having anchored to windward of the wrecked 
vessel, succeeded in getting lines down to the crew, 
who were then drawn from the masts safely on board, 
and they were landed at Carton. So heavy was the 
gale that she split her foresail in the service. Scarcely 
had the lifeboat returned from saving the crew of the 
' Lord Douglas ' than another schooner, though lying 
with three anchors ahead, drove ashore at Carton. 
A foresail was borrowed, and the lifeboat again started 
on her mission of mercy. She reached the vessel under 
sail, and happily succeeded in rescuing all the crew ; 
but having split her borrowed sail, she was compelled 
to run in for Yarmouth beach. Here the shipwrecked 
crew were hospitably received at the Sailors' Home. 

Again, on the 1st November, the screw-steamer 
' Shamrock ' of Dublin ran on shore on the Holme 
Sand during a heavy gale from the s.w. As soon as 
the position of the unfortunate vessel was discovered, 
the lifeboat was launched, and proceeded under sail 



BRAVERY OF JOSEPH ROGERS. 229 

to the spot. The sea was breaking fearfully over the 
mast-head of the steamer, repeatedly filling the life- 
boat. To increase the danger, an expanse of shoal- 
water lay close to leeward of the wreck, so that had 
the lifeboat's cable parted, her destruction and that 
of her crew might have followed. Fully aware of 
the risk they ran, they persevered as brave men will, 
in spite of danger to themselves, and sending lines on 
board the wreck, the whole crew, not without consi- 
derable difficulty, were hauled on board. 

On this occasion the men who especially distin- 
guished themselves were Richard Hook, coxswain, 
Francis Smith, Richard Butcher, Alfred Mewse, 
Thomas Liffen, James Butcher, and William Rose.* 



BRAVERY OF JOSEPH ROGERS, A MALTESE SEAMAN OF 

THE ' ROYAL CHARTER.' 

25th October 1859. 

No one will forget the dreadful loss of the 'Royal 
Charter' on the Welsh coast, when out of 490 souls on 

* We wish to draw attention to three very important societies for 
the benefit of seamen of all nations. 

1st. — The Mission to Seamen, 11, "Buckingham Street, Strand. 
The Kev. T. A Walrond is the secretary. The object is to afford 
spiritual aid and instruction to seamen of all nations who visit ports 
both at home and in the colonies, and English seamen in foreign 
ports. It has already twelve clergymen and as many Scripture 
readers, who visit the seamen on board their ships, and in some 
instances have vessels, on board which services are held and in- 
struction afforded. 

Bibles are distributed and many books lent ; altogether the so- 
ciety has been instrumental in producing a marked change in the 
characters and conduct of British seamen. 

2d. — The National Lifeboat Institution. Secretary, K. 
Lewis, Esq., 14, John Street, Adelphi. This admirable society 



230 BRAVERY OF JOSEPH ROGERS. 

board not more than twenty-five persons came on shore 
alive ; but many may not recollect that it was owing, 
under Providence, to the bravery, presence of mind, 
and strength of one man that even these few were 
saved. When the ship struck on the rocks, the sea 
instantly broke over her with fearful violence, filling 
the intermediate space between her and the shore with 
broken spars and fragments of the wreck, while the 
waves burst with fury on the hard rocks and then 
rushed back again, to hurl with redoubled force on the 
iron shore the objects which they had gathered up in 
their forward course. Pitchy darkness added to the 
horror of the scene, and the danger to be encountered 
by the hapless passengers and crew of the ill-fated ship. 
Among the ship's company was a Maltese, Joseph 
Rogers — a first-rate swimmer, as are many of the in- 
habitants of the island in which he was born. To 

has placed no less than 110 lifeboats round the coasts of England, 
Scotland, and Ireland, so that in all the more exposed and dan- 
gerous parts scarcely a wreck can take place without the means 
being at hand to preserve the crews. Still there are many more 
important posts to fill up ; besides which, the society itself is sup- 
ported by voluntary contributions. 

3d. — The Shipwrecked Mariners' Society. Francis Lean, 
Esq,, B.N., Secretary, Hibernia Chambers, London Bridge. While 
the missions to seamen endeavour to do good to the souls of 
sailors, the object of this society is to afford them relief when cast 
naked and starving on shores far removed from their homes. It 
feeds, clothes, and lodges them, and assists them to return to their 
homes, or to reach some port whence they may sail to their native 
land. It also encourages Sailors' Homes and other efforts made for 
the benefit of seamen. Indeed, it may truly be said that these 
three admirable associations form but parts of one great work for 
the benefit of sailors. 

They each publish a periodical : " The Word on the Waters," Id. 
monthly; "The Shipwrecked Mariner," 6d. quarterly; and "The 
Lifeboat," 2d. quarterly. 



BRAVERY OF JOSEPH ROGERS. 231 

attempt to swim on shore in that boiling caldron was 
full of danger, though he might have felt that he could 
accomplish it, but the difficulty and danger would be 
far greater should the swimmer's progress be impeded 
by a rope. In spite of that, thinking only how he 
might save the lives of those on board the ship to 
which he belonged, taking a line in hand, he plunged 
boldly into the foaming sea. On he swam : the dark- 
ness prevented him from being seen, but those on board 
felt the rope gradually hauled out. Anxiously all 
watched the progress of that line, for on the success of 
that bold swimmer the lives of all might depend. If 
he failed, who could hope to succeed ? At length they 
felt it tightened, and they knew that it was being 
hauled up by many strong hands on shore. Now a 
stout rope was fastened to the line, and that being 
hauled on shore was secured, and a cradle was placed 
on it. No time was to be lost. The large ship was 
striking with terrible violence on the rocks — it appear- 
ing that every instant would be her last. One after 
the other the people on board hastened into the cradle 
— as many as dare to make the hazardous passage. 
Ten, fifteen, twenty landed — the twenty-fifth person 
had just reached the shore, when, with a horrible 
crash, the ship parted, breaking into fragments, and 
454 persons were hurried in a moment into eternity. 
Even Rogers, brave swimmer as he was, could not 
have survived had he attempted to swim among those 
wreck-covered waves. For his heroic courage the 
National Lifeboat Institution awarded the gold medal 
to Rogers, and a gratuity of five pounds. 



232 RAMSGATE LIFEBOAT. 



RAMSGATE LIFEBOAT. 

Among the many gallant acts performed by the crew 
of the Ramsgate lifeboat we may record one which 
took place on the night of the 24th December 1859. 
During a heavy gale, with a terrific sea running, she, 
towed by the commissioners' steam-tug, proceeded to 
the rescue of the crew of the barque ' Linda' of 
Whitby, which had on that tempestuous night foun- 
dered on the Goodwin Sands. In the performance of 
this service one of the crew of the lifeboat, named 
Henry Venion, was by a heavy sea completely washed 
out of her : but, by God's mercy, he was saved. It 
was past three o'clock in the morning before the ship- 
wrecked crew were brought into Ramsgate, where, on 
landing, the master of the ' Linda' expressed a strong 
conviction that his ship would probably float on the 
Goodwin. This was a most providential interposition, 
as the sequel will show. The lifeboat with her gallant 
crew again proceeded, in less than an hour, in company 
with the steamer, towards the fatal Goodwin. On 
their arrival they found the ' Linda' full of water and 
rapidly breaking up ; but on looking over the sands at 
the dawn of day they saw a large ship with her three 
masts gone, the sea making a complete breach over 
her, and her numerous crew holding on for their lives. 
Not a moment was now to be lost. But how was 
the lifeboat to get through such heavy broken water ? 
The crew and lifeboat must be imperilled in this great 
venture. The noble craft, like a thing of life, ultimately 
succeeded ill approaching the wreck, from which, one 



ENDURANCE OF BRITISH SEAMEN. 233 

by one, thirteen poor creatures were rescued from 
inevitable death. The vessel proved to be the barque 
'Ariel' of Gottenburg, with a cargo of deals, to 
Marseilles. The boat belongs to the Royal Harbour 
Commissioners of Ramsgate, and has, during the last 
seven or eight years, been instrumental in rescuing 
110 shipwrecked sailors from a watery grave. The 
crew were rewarded by the commissioners, in addition 
to receiving salvage, for their intrepid and important 
services. 



REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF ENDURANCE OF A CREW OF 
BRITISH SEAMEN. 

A small fishing-smack, with a crew of five people, 
was wrecked off Bacton, near Great Yarmouth, on the 
27th November 1859. The poor men were in the 
riggiug, without food or drink, for sixty hours before 
they were rescued from the mast of a sunken vessel, 
to which they had been clinging for more than sixty 
hours. For three nights and two days they held on 
this uncertain support, about eight feet above the 
raging sea, without food, and almost without clothing. 
One of the men took off his shirt and held it out as 
a signal of distress, till it was blown from his feeble 
grasp. The vessel struck upon the Harborough Sand 
on Friday evening at nine o'clock, and they were not 
rescued till ten o'clock on Monday morning — a case 
of most remarkable endurance. It was but a small 
vessel, a smack with four hands ; the fourth, a boy, 
climbed the mast with the others, and held on till the 



234 ENDURANCE OF BRITISH SEAMEN. 

Saturday, when he became exhausted, and, relaxing his 
hold, slipped down into the sea. One of the men went 
down after him, seized him, and dragged him up the 
mast again ; but there was nothing to which to lash 
him, and no crosstrees or spars on which to rest, so 
that during the night, when almost senseless with cold 
and fatigue, the poor boy slipped clown again, and was 
lost in the darkness. On Sunday they were tantalized 
with the hope of immediate succour. A vessel saw 
their signals and heard their cries, and sent a boat 
to their relief; but, after buffeting with the wind and 
tide, they had the mortification to see her give up the 
attempt, and return to the vessel. Then it was that 
black despair took possession of them, and they gave 
themselves up for lost ; but clinging to their frail sup- 
port for an hour or two longer, they heard a gun fire. 
This gave them fresh courage, for they took it to be a 
signal, as in fact it was, that their case was known, and 
an attempt would be made to save them. The vessel 
stood in and communicated with the shore, and a boat 
put off to search for them ; but they were such a speck 
on the ocean, that, night coming on, they could not be 
seen, and the boat returned to shore. For the third 
night, therefore, they had still to cling on, expecting 
every moment that the mast would go over and bury 
them in the deep. On the Monday morning the Bac- 
ton boat made another attempt, fell in with them at 
ten o'clock, and landed them at Palling, more dead 
than alive, whence, as soon as they could be moved, 
they were brought to the Yarmouth Sailors' Home, 
their swollen limbs, benumbed frames, and ghastly 
countenances testifying to the sufferings they had under- 
gone. At this Home the poor men remained several 



ENDURANCE OF BRITISH SEAMEN. 235 

weeks, receiving every attention from the officers of the 
establishment. 

To conclude our short account of the services of life- 
boats, we may state that in the year 1860 the lives of 
no less than 326 persons were saved by those stationed 
on the British coast, every one of which would have 
been lost. 

We will give another example, to exhibit more 
clearly the nature of the work the brave crews under- 
take. 

In the early part of that year, as the day closed, it 
was blowing a heavy gale off Lyme-Regis. About 
eight o'clock at night the alarm was given that a ves- 
sel was in distress in the offing. It was pitchy dark ; 
indeed the intense darkness, the strong gale, and the 
heavy surf on shore, were enough, said the Mayor of 
the town, to appal any men entering the lifeboat. 
After some short delay, however, the boat was manned 
by a gallant crew — her coxswain, Thomas Bradley, 
being early at his post. Tar-barrels were lighted up on 
shore, and the boat proceeded on her mission of mercy. 
So truly awful was the night, that nearly every one on 
shore believed she would never return again. However, 
after battling with the fury of the storm, and after an 
absence of about an hour and a half, the lifeboat did 
return, laden with the shipwrecked crew of three men 
of the smack ' Elizabeth Ann' of Lyme-Regis. The 
inhabitants of the town were perfectly amazed at the 
lifeboat's performances, and the daring behaviour of 
her skilful coxswain and crew. 

The total number of persons saved from shipwreck 
from the establishment of the Royal National Life- 
boat Institution in 1824 to the end of the year 1860, 



236 



ENDURANCE OF BRITISH SEAMEN. 



either by its lifeboats, or for which it has granted re- 
wards, is as follows : — 



In the 
Year 


No. of 
Lives 
Saved. 


In the 
Year 


No. of 
Lives 
Saved. 


In the 
Year 


No. of 
Lives 
Saved. 


1824 


124 


1837 


272 


1850 


470 


1825 


218 


1838 


456 


1851 


230 


1826 


175 


1839 


279 


1852 


773 


1827 


163 


1840 


353 


1853 


678 


1828 


301 


1841 


128 


1854 


355 


1829 


463 


1842 


276 


1855 


406 


1830 


372 


1843 


236 


1856 


473 


1831 


287 


1844 


193 


1857 


374 


1832 


310 


1845 


235 


1858 


427 


1833 


449 


1846 


134 


1859 


499 


1834 


214 


1847 


157 


1860 


455 


1835 
183G 


364 


1848 


123 






225 


1849 


209 


Total, 


11,856 



THE RECAPTURE OF THE < EMILY ST 
PIERRE.' 

BY CAPTAIN WILLIAM WILSON. 

1862. 

The recapture of the 'Emily St Pierre' reminds us of 
the fighting days of the wars with France and America, 
when several similar events took place ; but during the 
whole course of English Naval History we find no deed 
more gallant or more worthy of record. The 'Emily 
St Pierre' was a large Liverpool East India trader, 
commanded by Captain William Wilson. She left Cal- 
cutta on the 27th of November 1861, with orders to 
make the coast of South Carolina, to ascertain whether 
there was peace or war. If peace had been declared, 
Captain Wilson was to take a pilot and enter the port 
of Charleston ; if there was a blockade, he was to pro- 
ceed to St John's, New Brunswick. 

On the 8th of March 1862, he considered his vessel 
to be about twelve miles off the land, when a steamer 
was made out approaching. When the steamer, which 
proved to be a Federal vessel of war, the ' James 
Adger,' came within hail, the 'Emily St Pierre' was 
ordered to heave-to, and was soon afterwards boarded 
by two boats, whose officers and crews took possession 
of her. Filling on the main-yard, they steered for the 
Federal squadron. Captain Wilson was now ordered 
into the boat, and carried on board the flagship, when 



238 RECAPTURE OF THE ' EMILY ST PIERRE. ' 

he was informed by Flag-officer Goldboursh that his 
vessel had saltpetre on board, and that consequently 
she was a lawful prize to the Federal Government, but 
that he might take a passage on board her to Phila- 
delphia. He replied that his cargo was not saltpetre, 
that his ship was British property, and that he could 
not acknowledge her a lawful prize. 

On returning to his ship in about an hour, he found 
that all his crew had been taken away except the cook 
and steward, and that a fresh ship's company had 
been placed on board, consisting of Lieutenant Stone, a 
master's mate, twelve men, and an engineer, a passenger, 
fifteen in all. Having weighed anchor, they proceeded 
to sea. Captain Wilson felt confident of the illegality 
of the capture, and that if he could regain possession 
of his ship, he was justified in making the attempt. 
He had studied the characters of his cook and steward, 
and knew that he could trust them. He waited his 
opportunity. There was, however, not much time to 
spare. The 21st of March arrived. The commanding 
officer, Lieutenant Stone, had the watch on deck. It 
was about half-past four, and still dark, when Captain 
Wilson called his steward and cook into his state-room, 
and told them that he was resolved to regain his ship 
or lose his life. He asked their assistance, which they 
at once promised to afford. He then gave them each 
a pair of irons, which he had secured, and a sheet, and 
told them to follow him, as the moment for action had 
arrived. The master's mate was asleep in his berth. 
Captain Wilson opened the door, and walked in. After 
handing out his revolver and sword, he grasped the 
mate's hands. In an instant the gag was in his mouth, 
and the irons were fixed. The brave captain, with his 



RECAPTURE OF THE ' EMILY ST PIERRE.' 239 

two followers, then went to the passenger's cabin, and 
having taken the arms from his berth, secured him in 
the way they had the mate. The most difficult part 
of the undertaking was now to overcome the command- 
ing officer, who, unsuspicious of danger, was walking 
the deck of his prize. However, retaining wonderful 
coolness, and undaunted by the hazard he ran, Captain 
Wilson went on deck as if he had just turned out, and 
joined Lieutenant Stone in his walk, making some re- 
marks as to the state of the weather. After walking 
for about ten minutes, he induced him to go down into 
the cabin to look at the chart which he had himself 
been examining, taking up on his way, as he followed, 
a belaying pin. Now was the critical moment — the 
cook and steward stood in ambush behind the door. 
They reached the door of the after-cabin where the 
chart was spread out, when, lifting up the belaying pin, 
Captain Wilson told the lieutenant that if he moved he 
was a dead man, and that the ship should never go to 
Philadelphia ; when the cook and steward, springing 
on him, had in a moment the irons on his wrists and 
the gag in his mouth, and he was pitched without 
ceremony into a cabin, and the door locked upon him. 
The crew had next to be mastered. Three were walk- 
ing the deck, another was at the helm, and a fifth was 
on the look-out forward. 

With truly wonderful nerve and command of voice, 
Captain Wilson called the three men aft, and pointing 
to the hatchway of the store-room, near the helm, told 
them that a coil of rope was wanted up. He then 
shoved off the hatch, and pointing to a corner where 
it was, they all three jumped clown. Quick as lightning 
he replaced the hatch, which his followers secured, 



240 RECAPTURE OF THE ' EMILY ST PIERRE.' 

while he warned the man at the helm that his life would 
pay the penalty if he moved or uttered a word. The 
look-out was then called aft, and being seized, was 
asked if he would assist in navigating the ship to a 
British port. On his declining to do so, he was hand- 
cuffed and secured in a cabin. Captain Wilson then 
called the watch, knowing well that they would not all 
come on deck together. He was consequently able to 
secure two before the suspicions of the rest were aroused. 
The third, however, drew his knife as the steward was 
about to seize him, when the latter shot him in the 
shoulder with his pistol, and he was seized. The re- 
maining men jumping on deck were knocked over and 
secured. 

Once more Captain Wilson had entire command of 
his ship, but with a crew of two men, neither of whom 
could even steer, nor were they accustomed to go 
aloft ; w T hile he had fifteen prisoners below, who would 
naturally lose no opportunity of retaking the ship. His 
greatest difficulties were only now beginning. What 
consciousness of his superlative seaman-like qualities, 
what perfect and just self-reliance he must have pos- 
sessed, to have undertaken the task of navigating a 
ship completely across the Atlantic with such means 
at his disposal ! Considerate and generous, as well as 
brave, as soon as he had shaped a course for England, 
he went below, and announced to Lieutenant Stone 
that the ship was his own again, but offered to take 
the gag out off his mouth, and the irons off his wrists, 
if he would consent to remain a prisoner in his berth, 
and make no attempt to regain possession of the ship. 

To this Lieutenant Stone consented, and dined at 
table every day under guard, while the crew were 



RECAPTURE OF THE ' EMILY ST PIERRE.' 241 

supplied with an ample allowance of bread, beef, and 
water. Four of their number, after some consideration, 
volunteered, rather than remain prisoners, to lend a 
hand in working the ship ; but as they were landsmen, 
they were no use aloft. It seems surprising that Cap- 
tain Wilson should have trusted them ; but undoubt- 
edly his bravery must have inspired them with such 
awe that they dared not prove treacherous. 

But few days had passed, after he had commenced 
his homeward passage, with his crew of six landsmen, 
than it came on to blow so hard that he had to close- 
reef the topsails. Placing his cook and steward at the 
helm, he made the other men take the reef tackles to 
the capstern, while he went alone aloft, lay out on the 
yard, passed the earings, and tied the reef-points, 
keeping an eye all the time at the helm, and directing 
his two faithful men by signs how to steer. The wind 
increased till it blew a heavy gale, and the sea getting 
up, the tiller by a sudden jerk was carried away. He 
now began for the first time, perhaps, to have fears 
that he might not after all make his passage ; but un- 
daunted, he set to work to repair the mischief as well 
as he was able. His strength and energies, as well as 
those of his brave companions, were tried to the utmost. 
They had both to navigate the ship, to watch the four 
men who had been liberated, and to feed and attend to 
their prisoners. 

Providence favoured them ; the weather moderated, 
the wind was fair, and without accident Captain Wil- 
son brought the 'Emily St Pierre' into the Mersey 
thirty clays after he had retaken her, having accom- 
plished a passage of nearly 3000 miles. As an act of 
individual courage, forethought, coolness, nerve, and 

Q 



242 RECAPTURE OF THE 4 EMILY ST PIERRE.' 

the highest seaman-like qualities, the recapture of the 
1 Emily St Pierre ' stands unsurpassed by any performed 
by seamen of any period, rank, or country. 

Captain Wilson received the welcome he so richly 
deserved, on his arrival at Liverpool, from the mercan- 
tile as well as all other classes. The Council of the 
Mercantile Marine Service presented him with a gold 
medal, and silver medals with suitable inscriptions to 
the steward and cook ; they also each of them received 
a purse with twenty guineas, and 170 merchants of 
Liverpool bestowed on Captain Wilson the sum of 
2000 guineas; while numerous other presents were 
made by various companies, eager to show him in what 
high estimation his gallantry was held. His officers 
and crew who had been made prisoners by the Federals, 
on their arrival at Liverpool after their release, pre- 
sented to him a valuable sextant, to show their sense 
of his kindness to them during the voyage from India, 
and of his noble conduct. 

Captain Wilson's conduct adds another to many 
proofs that true bravery, humanity, and generosity are 
ever united. 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 



THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 

The discovery of a passage from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific Ocean has been the darling project of number- 
less English men of science as well as navigators, from 
the time of Henry vm. down to the present day. A 
short account of the various expeditions, and of the 
adventures of the gallant men who have made the 
attempt, would alone fill a volume. By these expedi- 
tions, unsuccessful though they mostly were in accom- 
plishing their object, the names of many of the bravest 
and best of England's naval commanders have become 
immortalized. Well indeed may Englishmen be proud 
of men such as Ross, Parry, Clavering, Lyon, Beechey, 
and Franklin, and of others who have in still later days 
exhibited their dauntless courage and perseverance in the 
same cause — Collinson, M'Clure, M'Clintock, Sherard 
Osborn, Forsyth, and others. 

Nowhere can all the noble qualities which adorn the 
British seaman be more fully called forth than during a 
voyage in the Arctic seas, and the detention to which 
he is subject for years together on its ice-bound shores. 
From the first entering these regions, dangers beset 
him. Suddenly he finds his vessel among immense 
fields of floating ice, through which he can with diffi- 
culty force a passage or escape shipwreck. Then, in 



244 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

the darkness of night, icebergs of vast height are seen 
close aboard, towering above his mast-head, the sea 
dashing with fury round their bases, from which, should 
he not scrape clear, his destruction is certain. Some- 
times, to prevent his vessel being drifted on icebergs, 
or the rocky shore, or fields of ice, to leeward, he 
secures her on the leeside of some large berg. The 
base of the mass beneath the water is continually 
melting ; and while he fancies himself secure, it de- 
creases so much as to lose its balance, and its lofty 
summit bending down, it may overwhelm him in its 
ruins. Then, again, large masses become detached 
from its base, and rising up violently from far down in 
the sea, strike the bottom of the vessel with terrific 
force, capable of driving in her planks and breaking 
her stout timbers. Often, also, he has to saw his way 
through sheets of ice, cutting out canals with untiring 
perseverance to gain a piece of clear water beyond. 
Sometimes his vessel is so tightly frozen within a field 
of ice that he has no power to extricate her ; then the 
field, urged by the tides or wind, moves on at a rapid 
rate for hundreds of miles, till it encounters some other 
field or a projecting shore. Now commences a scene 
of horror which may well make the stoutest heart 
tremble. The field breaks into thousands of fragments ; 
huge masses of many hundred tons weight, and larger 
than his ship, are thrown up, one on the other, rising 
almost as if they had life, till they tower far above the 
sides of his vessel, and appear ready every instant to 
crush her, as she lies helplessly among this icy mass of 
a seeming ruined world. Sometimes a huge lump, 
bigger than the ship herself, becomes attached to her 
bottom ; and as the mass around her melts, it rises to 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 245 

the surface, and throws her on her beam-ends. Some- 
times, as she is sailing in an open space, two fields sud- 
denly close in on her. If he have time to cut a dock 
in the field nearest him, or find a bay ready formed, 
she may escape ; if not, when the fields meet, her stout 
ribs are crushed in as if they were of wax, and he is 
fortunate if he escapes to the ice with some of his 
boats and a few provisions and clothes before his vessel 
disappears, to encounter a voyage without shelter in 
that frigid region, till he falls in with some whale-ship, 
or can gain its inhospitable shores. But suppose he 
escapes the dangers of the sea I have described, and 
many others, and takes shelter for the winter in some 
bay or gulf, ice-bound, he must remain during the win- 
ter without any communication with the rest of his 
fellow-creatures besides those who form his own adven- 
turous band. The sun sinks below the horizon, and it 
is not seen again for months together ; darkness is 
around him, and one dreary mass of snow covers the 
face of nature. The intense cold prevents him often 
from venturing beyond the shelter with which he has 
surrounded his vessel ; or if he is tempted to do so, 
frost-bites may attack his hands and his feet, and de- 
prive him of their use. Sometimes the Arctic explorer 
has had to journey for weeks together across the 
barren waste of ice or snow-covered ground, dragging 
his sledge after him, and sleeping night after night 
under the thin roof of a canvas tent; and as summer 
draws on, often wet through from the melting snow, 
without an opportunity of drying his clothes. Seldom 
has he an abundance, and often he suffers from a scarcity 
of provisions ; while, if his strength fails him from illness 
or injury, he can scarcely hope to regain his ship alive. 



246 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

The first exploring expedition which was sent forth 
after her Majesty came to the throne, was placed under 
the command of Sir George Back, in the ' Terror;' 
but winter setting in early, his ship was caught by the 
ice, thrown on her beam-ends, and nearly destroyed. 
Though in a dreadfully shattered condition, she was 
providentially enabled to return home. It was not till 
the year 1845 that a new expedition by sea was 
determined on, and the command given, at his earnest 
request, to Sir John Franklin — an expedition over the 
fate of which for many long years hung a mysterious 
uncertainty, full of pain and anxiety. Notwithstand- 
ing the hazardous nature of the work in which they 
were to be engaged, numbers of officers and men 
eagerly pressed forward as volunteers to serve under 
the veteran Arctic explorer. The chief difficulty was 
in selecting the most fit among the many applicants, 
and happy did those consider themselves who were 
chosen. 

The following is a list of the officers who were 
finally appointed to the expedition : — 

' Erebus.' 

Captain Sir John Franklin, K.C.H. ; Commander 
James Fitzjames ; Lieutenants Graham Gore, Henry T. 
Le Yesconte, James William Fairholme; Mates, Charles 
T. des Vaux, Robert O'Sargent; Second-Master, Henry 
F. Collins ; Surgeon, Stephen Stanley ; Assistant-Sur- 
geon, Harry D. S. Goodsir ; Paymaster and Purser, 
Charles H. Osmer ; Master, James Reid, acting ; fifty- 
eight petty officers, seamen, etc. Full complement, 
seventy. 



arctic exploring expeditions. 247 

' Terror.' 

Captain Francis R. M. Crozier ; Lieutenants Edward 
Little, George H. Hodgson, John Irving ; Mates, 
Frederick J. Hornby, Robert Thomas ; Ice-master, 
T. Blakey, acting ; Second-Master, G. A. Maclean ; 
Surgeon, John S. Peddie ; Assistant-Surgeon, Alex- 
ander M'Donald ; Clerk in Charge, Edwin G-. H. Help- 
man ; fifty-seven petty officers, seamen, etc. Full com- 
plement, sixty -eight ; making in all one hundred and 
thirty-eight souls. 

The expedition sailed from England, May the 26th, 
1845. They arrived at the Whalefish Islands, a 
group to the south of Disco, on the 4th of July. On 
the 26th they were seen moored to an iceberg, in 
74° 48' north latitude, and 66° 13' west longitude, by 
a Hull whaler, the ' Prince of Wales,' Captain Dannet. 
The ships had then on board provisions for three years, 
on full allowance, or even four, with the assistance of 
such game as they might expect to obtain. Every one 
on board had resolved to persevere to the utmost in 
pushing their way through any channel which might 
offer a prospect of success towards the west ; but the 
letters of Captain Fitzjames especially seem to point 
clearly to Wellington Channel as the passage they 
would most probably first attempt. No news of the 
expedition having reached England up to the year 
1847, some slight apprehensions began to be felt, 
though the general hope was that Sir John had pushed 
on perhaps into the Polar basin, and might make his 
appearance by way of Behring's Straits. However, it 
was thought right in 1848 to despatch another expe- 
dition to search for the missing ships. Two vessels 



248 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

were commissioned for that purpose, and placed under 
the command of Sir James Ross, an officer who has 
been nearer the northern and southern poles than any 
other human being. The ships were not ready for sea 
till the 12th of June. They were fitted to contend 
with the dangers of the Polar Seas in a way no former 
ships had been, and every means that could be devised 
for the comfort and convenience of their crews were 
liberally supplied ; while the officers and men were 
influenced by an earnest zeal to discover their missing 
countrymen, and to rescue them from the forlorn con- 
dition in which it was too probable they were placed. 
Such have been the motives which have induced, year 
after year, numbers of other gallant officers and men to 
volunteer their services to encounter the terrific dangers 
and hardships of a Polar voyage to search for Sir John 
Franklin and his brave followers. Who also has not 
heard of the noble efforts and sacrifices Lady Franklin 
has made to despatch expedition after expedition in 
search of her gallant husband ; and with what untiring 
zeal, and deep, earnest devotion she and his faithful niece 
laboured on, month after month and year after year, 
with talents, mind, and all their best energies, devoted 
to the cause ? All honour be to those noble ladies, 
worthy to be loved and reverenced by all who love and 
respect the British Navy, and admire the gallant spirit 
which imbues it. 

But to return to our narrative. Our space will not 
allow us to give more than a very brief sketch of the 
several searching expeditions which have been sent out, 
and the names of the ships and officers composing them. 

The first, then, was that under Captain Sir J. Ross, 
consisting of — 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 249 

6 Enterprise,' 540 tons. 

Captain Sir James C. Ross ; Lieutenants R. J. L. 
M'Clure, F. L. M'Clintock, and W. H. J. Browne ; 
Master, W. S. Couldery, acting ; Surgeon, W. Ro- 
bertson, acting ; Assistant -Surgeon, H. Matthias ; 
Second-Master, S. Court ; Clerk, Edward Whitehead. 
Total complement, sixty-eight. 

< Investigator,' 480 tons. 

Captain E. J. Bird; Lieutenants M. G. H. W. 
Ross, Frederick Robinson, and J. J. Barnard ; Master, 
W. Tatham ; Surgeon, Robert Anderson ; Mates, L. 
John Moore, and S. GL Cresswell ; Second-Master, 
John H. Allard ; Assistant-Surgeon, E. Adams ; Clerk 
in Charge, J. D. Gilpin. Total complement, sixty- 
seven. 

The expedition left England on the 12th of June 
1848, and reached Barrow's Straits by the end of 
August. Sir James Ross then endeavoured to find a 
passage through Wellington Channel ; but it was so 
completely blocked up with ice that he was compelled 
to give up the attempt that year as hopeless. The 
ice closing in on the ships at an unusually early period, 
after running great risk of being crushed, Sir James 
took refuge in Leopold Harbour for the winter. Hence 
several expeditions were sent out on foot. Sir James 
Ross and Lieutenant M'Clintock set out in May, with 
sledges, each accompanied by six men, and explored 
the whole of the north and west coasts of North Somer- 
set ; and being absent thirty-nine days, returned to the 
ships on the 23d of June. Meantime Lieutenant Bar- 



250 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

nard started for the northern shore of Barrow's Straits, 
crossing the ice to Cape Hind. Lieutenant Browne 
visited the eastern shore of Regent Inlet, and Lieu- 
tenant Robinson the western shore, and reached several 
miles to the southward of Fury Beach. No traces were 
discovered, however, of Sir John Franklin, but every 
device that could be thought of was employed to let 
his party know of the position of the ships. At Fury 
Beach, Lieutenant Robinson discovered Sir John Ross's 
house, and much of the provisions left there by the 
< Fury' in 1827 still remaining, and in excellent condi- 
tion. On the 28th of August, the vessels quitted 
Leopold Harbour, where, at Whaler Point, a large 
supply of provisions, fuel, and a steam-launch were left, 
in the hopes that some of Sir John's party might visit 
the place. Again, from the 1st to the 25th of Sep- 
tember, the vessels w r ere so closely beset with ice, that 
it was feared they might be compelled to spend another 
winter in those regions, if they escaped being crushed 
to fragments. Happily they got clear after drifting 
into Baffin's Bay, and reached England in November. 

The ' North Star,' an old twenty-six gun frigate, of 
500 tons, had in the meantime, in the spring of 1849, 
been despatched with provisions for Sir James Ross, 
under command of Mr J. Saunders. Having got 
blocked in by the ice for sixty-two days, she was com- 
pelled to winter in Wolstenholme Sound, on the western 
coast of Greenland. 

Immediately on the return of the ' Enterprise ' and 
' Investigator,' they were re-commissioned, and placed 
under the command of Captain B. Collinson, with direc- 
tions to proceed to Behring's Straits, to resume the 
search in that direction. H.M.S. i Plover,' Commander 



I 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 251 



Moore, was already there, employed in surveying the 
north-western coasts of the American continent. 

The following were the officers appointed to them : — 

c ENTERPRISE.' 

Captain R. Collinson; Lieutenants G. A. Phayre, 
J. J. Barnard, and C. T. Jago ; Master, R. T. G. 
Legg ; Second-Master, Francis Skead ; Mate, M. T. 
Parks; Surgeon, Robert Anderson; Assistant -Sur- 
geon, Edward Adams ; Clerk in Charge, Edward 
Whitehead. Total complement, sixty- six. 

' Investigator.' 

Commander B. J. M'Clure ; Lieutenants W. H. 
Haswell and S. G. Cresswell; Mates, H. H. Saints- 
bury and R. J. Wyniatt; Second-Master, Stephen 
Court ; Surgeon, Alexander Armstrong, M.D. ; Assis- 
tant-Surgeon, Henry Piers; Clerk in Charge, Joseph 
C. Paine. Total complement, sixty-six. 

Mr Miertsching, a Moravian missionary, who had 
spent five years on the coast of Labrador, was appointed 
to the ' Enterprise' as interpreter. The vessels sailed 
from Plymouth on the 20th of January 1850, and 
reached the Sandwich Islands on the 29th of June. 
Meantime the ' Herald,' Captain Kellett, had been 
ordered up from Oahu to Behring's Straits, to assist 
in the search. At Petropaulski she met the Royal 
Thames Yacht Club schooner ' Mary Dawson,' owned 
by Mr Sheddon, who had come along the Chinese coast 
to Behring's Straits, also in search of Sir John Franklin. 
After exploring for some time in company, they were 



252 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

compelled by the ice to leave the Straits ; but the 
4 Plover ' wintered there, while Lieutenant Pullen led a 
boat expedition of a most arduous nature along the 
northern shores of America, towards the Hudson's 
Bay establishment on the Mackenzie river. Sir John 
Richardson also led a land party from the South to 
the Polar Seas, but was compelled to return without 
discovering any trace of the expedition. 

In 1846, also, the Hudson's Bay Company sent out 
an expedition,- commanded by Dr John Rae, to survey 
the unexplored portion of the American continent, be- 
tween the further point reached by Dease and Simpson, 
and the strait of the Fury and Hecla. 

In the year 1850, several expeditions were sent out. 
The first consisted of H.M.S. ' Resolute ' and ' Assist- 
ance,' Captain Ommaney, with the screw-steamers ' Pio- 
neer,' Lieutenant Osborn, and 'Intrepid,' Lieutenant 
Cator, as tenders, under the command of Captain 
Horatio T. Austin, in the i Resolute.' 

His chief aim was to visit Melville Island, and to 
explore the shores of Wellington Channel, and the 
coast about Cape Walker. The ships were provi- 
sioned for three years, and a transport completed their 
supply at Whalefish Islands. 

No expedition ever left England with a greater pro- 
spect of success ; all engaged in it being enthusiastically 
resolved to use every exertion to advance the noble 
cause. 

The ships were commissioned on the 28th of Feb- 
ruary 1850, and left England the 3d of May. On the 
16th of June, they arrived at the Whalefish Islands, 
where they received the remainder of their supply of 
provisions from the transport. 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 253 

At the same time that Captain Austin's expedition 
was fitting out, another was arranged and placed under 
the command of Mr William Penny, an experienced 
whaling captain of Dundee, to act in concert with it. 
Mr Penny, by the directions of the Admiralty, pro- 
ceeded to Aberdeen and Dundee, where he purchased 
two new clipper-built vessels, which were named the 
' Lady Franklin' and ; Sophia;' the first in compli- 
ment to Sir John's devoted wife, the latter to his 
admirable niece. These vessels were placed under 
Mr Penny's command, with separate instructions direct 
from the Admiralty. The ships showed during the 
voyage the good judgment employed by Mr Penny 
in their selection, and the men acquitted themselves 
throughout the enterprise in a way not to justify any 
contempt on the part of their associates in the ships-of- 
war. Mr Penny had been employed in the Arctic Seas 
since he was twelve years old, and had commanded a 
whaling ship for sixteen years. 

The ships left Aberdeen on the 13th of April, but 
did not fall in with Captain Austin's squadron till the 
28th of June, off Berry Island, on the west coast of 
Greenland. 

About the same time that the above-named ships 
left England, three other expeditions were despatched ; 
one in the l Prince Albert,' under Commander Forsyth, 
chiefly at Lady Franklin's expense. She had a crew of 
twenty men. Her mates were W. Kay and W. Wil- 
son, and Mr W. P. Snow acted as clerk. She sailed 
from Aberdeen on the 5th of June, and was thus the 
last vessel which left England that year. Another in 
the ' Felix ' yacht, with a tender — the ' Mary ' — under 
the veteran Captain Sir John Ross, at his own charge. 



254 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

The Americans likewise showed a generous sympathy 
in the fate of the missing expedition, and sent out one 
to aid in the search, under Lieutenant De Haven, in 
the U.S. brig ' Advance,' and the U.S. vessel ' Rescue,' 
commanded by Mr S. P. Griffin. 

These various expeditions were to examine the 
different channels up which it was supposed Sir John 
Franklin might have endeavoured to work B his way. 
The result of their examinations proved beyond almost 
all doubt that he proceeded up Wellington Channel. 

Without following the ships step by step through 
their laborious progress across Baffin's Bay, down 
Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Straits, we will carry 
them at once to Beechey Island, which lies at the 
south-eastern extremity of Wellington Channel, just at 
its entrance into Barrow's Straits. Here, on the 27th 
of August, Mr Penny discovered undoubted traces of 
Sir John Franklin. Here, accordingly, the ships as- 
sembled to prosecute the examination. Dr Sutherland, 
who went out in the ' Lady Franklin,' gives the follow- 
ing account of the interesting event : — 

"Traces," he observes, "were found to a great extent 
of the missing ships ; tin-canisters in hundreds, pieces 
of cloth, rope, wood — in large fragments and in chips ; 
iron in numerous fragments, where the anvil had stood, 
and the block which supported it ; paper, both written 
and printed, with the dates 1844 and 1845 ; sledge 
marks in abundance; depressions in the gravel, re- 
sembling wells which they had been digging ; and the 
graves of three men who had died on board the missing 
ships in January and April 1846. One of the shore 
party was despatched with this intelligence to Mr 
Penny, who immediately came on shore, accompanied 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 255 

by Sir John Ross, Commander Phillips, of the 4 Felix,' 
Sir John's vessel, Commander de Haven and Lieu- 
tenant Griffiths, of the American expedition, which had 
joined our ships in Barrow's Straits, and other officers. 
There were unequivocal proofs that the missing ships 
had spent their first winter in the immediate vicinity of 
Beechey Island. A finger-post was picked up, which 
we at once supposed had been made use of to direct 
parties to the ships during winter, if they should hap- 
pen to have lost their way in a snow-storm. Captain 
Parry adopted the same precautions around his winter- 
quarters at Melville Island ; and it is not improbable 
some of the posts may be found after a lapse of thirty 
years. Our ideas were that the ships had wintered in 
a deep bay between Beechey Island and Cape Riley, 
which we called Erebus and Terror Bay. 

" Immediately adjacent to the supposed position of 
the ships, we found the site of a large storehouse and 
workshop, and smaller sites which were supposed to 
have been observatories, and other temporary erec- 
tions. Meat-tins to the amount of 600 or 700, and a 
great number of coal-bags, one of which was marked 
6 T-e-r-r-o-r,' were found. But there were no papers 
found anyivhere that had been left by the missing ships" 

This station, in the opinion of Captain Penny, was 
occupied by Sir John Franklin's party until the 3d of 
April 1846, if not longer, as a look-out up Wellington 
Channel, to watch the first opening of that icy barrier 
which seems so frequently to block it up. 

No record, however, was left to show in what direc- 
tion the bold explorers had proceeded. With deep 
regret, therefore, that no further information could be 
gained, the various vessels continued the search. Cap- 



256 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

tain Forsyth had, however, before this returned in the 
' Prince Albert' to England, with news of an interesting 
discovery made by Captain Ommaney of some articles 
left by Sir John Franklin on Cape Riley. He reached 
Aberdeen on the 22d of October, having been absent 
somewhat less than four months. 

Early the next year the ' Prince Albert' was again 
despatched, under the command of Mr Kennedy, an 
old Arctic explorer ; but he was unable to effect more 
than to prove where Sir John Franklin and his followers 
were not. 

Captain Austin's ships were constantly placed in 
great peril as they proceeded on their voyage. " The 
'Assistance' was hemmed in by the ice in the centre of 
Wellington Channel, and was in such imminent danger 
of being crushed to pieces, that every preparation was 
made to desert her," writes an officer belonging to her. 
" Each person on board was appointed to a particular 
boat, provisions were got on deck, and every two men 
were allowed one bag between them for spare clothes, 
attached to lines which were passed through the upper- 
deck, ready to be pulled up at any moment. One day 
the vessel was raised six feet out of the water, by the 
pressure of the ice ; and it became so probable that she 
would fall on her broadside, that the men were em- 
ployed with shovels and pickaxes in smoothing a place 
on the ice for her to lie upon." Again, on the 6th, a 
large floe came down upon them with great violence, 
and, pressing the vessel against the land ice, lifted her 
several feet out of the water. Every one rushed on 
deck, with the exception of the carpenter, who coolly 
sounded the well, to ascertain the depth of water in 
the hold. For some hours the ship was in danger of 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 257 

being driven on shore ; the ice continued to grind and 
pile up round her, while all the ice-anchors were laid 
out, one of which was wrenched in two by the tre- 
mendous strain, and thrown high up into the air. The 
wind, however, providentially changed, the ice slacked, 
and they were safe. At length, while Captain Austin's 
squadron were secured for the winter in a field of ice 
between Cornwallis and Griffiths Islands, Mr Penny 
and Sir John Ross reached Assistance Harbour, where 
they wintered. A variety of means were taken to 
amuse the crews during the depth of winter ; and, as 
soon as spring began, exploring parties went out in 
every direction. We cannot trace the progress of the 
several parties in boats and sledges* Their persevering 
struggles serve to prove the present existence, at all 
events, if that were required, of the heroic endurance 
of hardships, the indomitable courage, the invariable 
cheerfulness under the most depressing trials, and the 
unconquerable ardour, in spite of every obstacle, charac- 
teristic of British seamen. About 2000 miles altogether 
were traversed by the different parties. Mr Penny 
made every effort to ascend Wellington Channel ; but 
his success was trifling compared to his unwearied 
endeavours. When his sledge was stopped by open 
water, and after incredible labours a boat was brought 
to the spot, thick-ribbed ice had collected to impede 
its progress. All the efforts of the heroic explorers 
were in vain. Lieutenant De Haven's ships returned 
to the United States, after enduring many hardships ; 
and Captain Austin, Sir John Ross, and Mr Penny 
came back to England in the autumn of 1851. 

Another year, however, was not allowed to pass 
before a further expedition was entrusted to the com- 
ic 



258 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

niand of a talented officer, Sir Edward Belcher. The 
' Assistance' and 'Resolute' were again commissioned, 
and, with the ' Pioneer' and 'Intrepid' screw-steamers, 
were placed under his orders, many of the officers who 
before accompanied Captain Austin volunteering their 
services. Captain Kellet, who had returned home in 
the 'Herald,' was appointed to command the 'Resolute.' 

They proceeded early in the spring for Wellington 
Channel, and, favoured by an open season, part of the 
squadron entered that mysterious inlet, with a favour- 
able breeze, in high health, and with buoyant hopes that 
they were about to carry succour to their long-lost 
countrymen — how soon, like those of many others, to 
meet with disappointment ! Up that very channel, it has 
since been ascertained, the expedition under Sir John 
Franklin had gone, but had been compelled, as those in 
search of it soon were, to return southward. 

In the meantime, Commander Inglefield, who had 
first gone out in the 'Isabel,' commissioned the 
'Phoenix' steam-sloop, with the 'Lady Franklin' as a 
sailing-tender, and proceeded to Baffin's Bay. Mr 
Kennedy again went out in the 'Isabel,' and the 
Americans sent forth the well-known expedition under 
Dr Kane, whose narrative must be read with the 
deepest interest by all, and his early death deplored 
in consequence of the hardships he endured on that 
occasion. 

While Sir Edward Belcher in the ' Assistance,' ac- 
companied by the ' Pioneer,' proceeded up Wellington 
Channel, Captain Kellet in the ' Resolute,' accom- 
panied by the 'Intrepid,' leaving the 'North Star' 
with stores at Beechey Island, continued his voyage to 
Melville Island, which he reached after encountering 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 259 

many dangers, and where he was frozen up at Brid- 
port Inlet on the 11th of September 1852. 

We before narrated how the ' Enterprise ' and ' In- 
vestigator' left England in January 1850, and, pro- 
ceeding round Cape Horn, the latter reached the 
Sandwich Islands in Jane, and sailed again for Beh- 
ring's Straits the day before the arrival of her consort. 
The 'Investigator' had a remarkably quick passage to 
Behring's Straits ; and after communicating with the 
* Herald,' Captain Kellet, off Cape Lisbourne, and 
exchanging signals with the 'Plover,' which vessel 
wintered in those seas, she pursued her course easterly 
along the north coast of North America, and passed 
Point Barrow under press of sail on the 5th of August. 
Thus it will be seen that several ships as well as land 
parties were engaged in the search for the long-lost 
crews of the 'Erebus' and ' Terror' at the same time 
— from the East and West as well as from the South. 

Since the 5th of August 1850 no tidings had been 
received of Captain M'Clure and the 'Investigator,' 
till the time that Captain Kellet, who last saw him in 
the west, had once more made his way into the Arctic 
Ocean from the east, and was now commencing his long 
winter imprisonment at Bridport Inlet, Melville Island, 
in September 1852. The only time that exploring 
parties can travel is during daylight in the early autumn 
or in the spring. The spring is most fitted for crossing 
the Frozen Sea, before the ice breaks up, and the cold 
has become less intense. In the autumn of 1852, Lieu- 
tenant Mecham, of the ' Resolute,' was despatched by 
Captain Kellet to explore the coast of Melville Island 
to the west, and to form depots of provisions, as were 
other parties in different directions. On his return, 



260 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

passing through Winter Harbour, in Melville Island, 
at no great distance to the west of Bridport Inlet, 
what was his surprise and satisfaction to find in a cairn, 
a record, with a chart of his discoveries, left by Captain 
M'Clure on the previous May, stating that he should 
probably be found in Mercy Harbour, Bank's Land, 
unless he should be able to push on through Barrow's 
Straits, which it seemed very unlikely that he could 
have done. This was the first evidence to the new 
explorers of the actual existence of a continuous channel 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific — that there exists a 
North- West Passage. 

Most tantalizing was it, however, to them to know 
that at that season they could not possibly venture 
across to meet their countrymen. Indeed, the gallant 
M'Clure expressly forbade them in the document they 
had discovered. "Any attempt to send succour will 
only increase the evil," were his words. The winter 
passed rapidly away, but it was not till March that 
Captain Kellet considered it prudent to send an ex- 
pedition across the Straits to where he supposed the 
'Investigator' was to be found. 

We will now trace the progress of the ' Investigator,' 
from the time she was last seen passing Point Barrow 
under a press of sail. 

She made the ice on the 2d of August, and, more 
than once being nearly caught by it, she reached Cape 
Bathurst by the 30th. Rounding it, she stood east 
and north, passing the south of Baring Island, which 
was called Cape Nelson. She then reached a channel 
with Baring Island on the west, and another land on 
the east, to which the name of Prince Albert's Land 
was given, when, on the 30th of September, she was 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 261 

fairly frozen in. Prince Albert's Land was taken pos- 
session of on the 8th of October, in the name of her 
most gracious Majesty, by Captain M'Clure, with a 
party of officers and men, who landed, and planted a 
staff with a flag to it on the shore. On their return 
to the ship, they found that the land and sea ice had 
separated, and they were alarmed with the prospect 
of having to remain on shore during the whole of an 
Arctic autumn night. Happily, their signals were at 
last seen, and a party, with two of Halkett's inflatable 
boats, were sent to their assistance. In consequence 
of the excessive roughness of the ice, no other boat 
could have been got across. " By these means a large 
party were relieved, who were without tents, clothing, 
fuel, provisions, or in any w r ay provided to withstand 
the severities of a polar night, with the thermometer 
eight degrees minus" We take the opportunity of 
advising that all vessels should be provided with one 
or more of these admirable contrivances. They may 
be of any size, from that in which one man alone can 
sit, to one capable of carrying fifty people. One might 
always be kept on deck, which could be launched in 
a moment should a man fall overboard. By this means 
numberless lives might be saved. 

Captain M'Clure feeling assured that the ship was 
immovably fixed for the winter, started with a sledge 
party on the 21st, to proceed to the north-east, in the 
hopes of discovering Barrow's Straits ; and, after tra- 
velling for upwards of seventy miles, they had the 
intense gratification, on the 26th of October, of pitch- 
ing their tents on their shores. The next morning, 
before sunrise, he and Mr Court ascended a hill, 600 
feet in height, whence they could command a view of 



262 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

forty or fifty miles over the Straits, though the oppo- 
site shore of Melville Island could not be discerned. 
They found, however, by their observations, that Sir 
Edward Parry had very correctly marked the loom of 
the land on which they stood ; and that thus the long- 
vexed question was solved, and that, whatever others 
might have done or might be doing, they had, at all 
events, found a watery way from the Pacific to the 
Atlantic Oceans. 

They reached the ship again on the 31st, narrowly 
escaping destruction in a fog, when Captain M'Clure 
had to wander about during a whole night on a floe, 
with the thermometer from five to fifteen degrees below 
zero. And now the first winter of the ' Investigator ' 
was commenced in those ice-bound regions. By the 
middle of April, expeditions were sent out in all direc- 
tions, and depots of provisions established for the relief 
of the long-lost companions of Sir John Franklin. 

Both sides of the Prince of Wales's Straits were 
thoroughly explored, as was Baring Island and Prince 
Albert's Land as far as its southern shore, known as 
Wollaston Land, — a continuous coast line being thus 
laid down along the whole southern shore of Barrow's 
Straits, and that of the north shore of the American 
continent, united with the discoveries of previous ex- 
plorers. This, it will be remembered, was the winter 
of 1850-51. 

When the short summer once more returned, Cap- 
tain M'Clure made every endeavour to get the ship to 
the north-east, through the Prince of Wales's Straits 
into Barrow's Straits, but in vain. So closely was the 
ice packed at the north-east end, that, after running 
great hazard of shipwreck, he was compelled to give 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 263 

up the attempt on the 16th of July, when only twenty- 
five miles distant from Barrow's Straits, and bearing 
up, he ran to the south and west round Baring Island. 
The voyage off the west coast of that large island was 
full of danger, the ship frequently narrowly escaping 
being cast away, till at length, with a fair breeze, she 
entered Banks's Straits, which, leading into Melville 
Sound, may be looked upon as the western end of Bar- 
row's Straits. They were but some eighty miles dis- 
tant from Barrow's Straits, with every prospect of 
gaining them, and being able the following season to 
return home, when a heavy barrier of ice rose before 
them to intercept their progress. Backward they were 
driven into a deep bay, to which the name of the Bay 
of Mercy was given, as an acknowledgment of the 
merciful way in which they had been preserved from 
so many clangers. They had actually been only five 
days under weigh, after leaving their winter quarters 
in Prince of Wales's Straits. 

As in the previous season, their time was fully occu- 
pied in making exploring expeditions in all directions, 
and in shooting excursions. With the exception of 
about three weeks in January, when it was too dark 
to shoot, enough game was killed to enable them to 
enjoy a meal of fresh meat three days in the fortnight. 

On the 11th of April, Captain M'Clure, with Mr 
Court, second-master, and a sledge party, started to 
cross the ice on sledges, to visit Winter Harbour, in 
Melville Island. Soon after leaving the ship, a thick 
fog came on, and continued for several days, so that 
their destination was not reached till the 28th. 

We must picture to ourselves the sort of work these 
brave men had to go through, to do full justice to their 



264: ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

perseverance and courage. Day after day travelling 
on, dragging their sledges across the frozen strait, 
often in the face of biting winds, encamping night after 
night with simply a tent to shelter them, and a spirit- 
lamp only with which to cook their food, or to afford 
them warmth. Tet thus, during that eventful period 
in the history of Arctic discovery, were many hundred 
British seamen employed in different portions of the 
icy ocean, all nobly engaged in the search for their 
lost countrymen and brother sailors. Not only for 
month after month, but year after year, — the only inter- 
ruption being the dark long night of mid-winter, and 
the brief period of summer navigation, — when, amid 
icebergs and ice-fields, whirled here and there, tossed 
by storms, and urged impetuously on by currents, they 
forced their way onward, in the hope of gaining the 
open ocean in another hemisphere. 

At Winter Harbour, Captain M'Clure found a large 
fragment of sandstone, with this inscription — " His 
Britannic Majesty's ships ' Hecla' and ' Griper,' Com- 
manders Parry and Lyddon, wintered in the adjacent 
harbour during the winter of 1819-20. A. Fisher, 
sculpsit" Lieutenant M'Clintock had left a notice of 
his visit on the previous year on the same fragment, 
and protected it by a large cairn. In this cairn Cap- 
tain M'Clure now deposited his own despatches, giving 
a plan of the way he intended to proceed under the 
various circumstances which might occur. One por- 
tion especially is worthy of notice. 

After stating his intention of visiting Port Leopold, 
in Barrow's Straits, and of leaving there information 
of the route he purposed to pursue, he says, " Should 
no intimation be found of our having been there, it 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 265 

may be at once surmised that some fatal catastrophe 
has happened, either from being carried into the Polar 
Sea, or smashed in Barrow's Straits, and no survivors 
left. If such should be the case, it will then be quite 
unnecessary to penetrate farther to the westward to 
our relief, as, by the period that any vessel could reach 
that port, we must, from want of provisions, all have 
perished ; in such case I would submit that the officer 
may be directed to return, and by no means incur the 
danger of losing other lives in quest of those who will 
then be no more." Admirable, indeed, is the calm 
courage with which he contemplated that fearful con- 
tingency which we now know too well overtook the ex- 
pedition of which he was in quest, and his generous 
anxiety that no more valuable lives should be sacri- 
ficed in searching for him. Accomplishing in ten days 
what occupied eighteen upon the outward trip, the 
party reached the ship on the 9th of May. Summer 
was approaching. Some deer and musk oxen were 
shot. By the 10th of August the frozen-up mariners 
began to entertain the joyful hopes of being liberated. 
Lanes of water were observed to seaward, and along 
the cliffs of Banks's Land there was a clear space of 
six miles in width extending along them as far as the 
eye could reach ; and on the 12th the wind, which had 
been for some time from the northward, veered to the 
south, which had the effect of separating the ice from 
that of the bay entirely across the entrance. Every 
moment they were in expectation of their release, and 
then a few days' sail would carry them into Barrow's 
Straits, and perhaps into Baffin's Bay itself. Shortly, 
however, the wind changed to the northward, the ice 
again closed : in vain they waited for it to open. 






2GC) ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

On the 20th the temperature fell to 27°, and the en- 
tire bay was frozen over. The ice never again opened, 
and the usual preparations were made for passing a 
third winter in those Arctic seas. It is wonderful to ob- 
serve how officers and men kept up their spirits, and how 
cheerfully they bore their trials and privations. They 
had for a year been placed on two-thirds allowance of 
provisions ; the consumption was still further decreased, 
to enable them to exist another eighteen months. The 
winter was severe, but passed away without sickness ; 
and now Captain M'Clure informed his crew that it was 
his purpose to send a portion home in a boat by Baffin's 
Bay. The intended travellers were put on full allow- 
ance, and all preparations were made for their starting 
on the 15th of April. 

One day towards the end of March, Captain M'Clure 
and his first-lieutenant were taking their daily exercise 
on the floe near the ship, when they saw running to- 
wards them a person whom they supposed to be one of 
their own men chased by a bear. They hurried on, 
when, to their surprise, they discovered that he was a 
stranger, his face so blackened by the smoke from the oil- 
lamp that his features could not be recognised. " Who 
are you ? Where are you come from ?" " Lieutenant 
Pirn — 'Herald' — Captain Kellet," was the answer. 
Wonderful indeed it seemed ; for Lieutenant Pirn was 
the last person with whom the captain of the ' Investi- 
gator' had shaken hands in Behring's Straits. It was 
some time before Lieutenant Pirn could find words to 
express himself, when he announced that he was ahead 
of his party, who had crossed from the winter quarters 
of the 'Resolute' in Bridport Inlet, Melville Island. 
Captain M'Clure then set out with a party of officers 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 2G7 

and men to visit the ' Resolute,' which ship was reached 
on the 19th of April 1853, after traversing a distance 
of 170 miles. 

Great was the satisfaction of the two gallant cap- 
tains at thus again meeting. It w r as finally resolved 
that a portion of the crews of both ships should be sent 
home, while the remainder should stay in the hopes of 
extricating them during the coming summer. As, 
however, many of the ' Investigator's' crew were suffer- 
ing from scurvy, only a small number were able to 
continue the journey westward, under command of 
Lieutenant Cresswell and Lieutenant Wynniett. 

On the 2d of June they arrived on board the i North 
Star,' Captain Pullen, at Beechey Island. The distance 
was 300 miles, and it had taken them four weeks to 
perform the journey. 

On the 8th of August the c Phoenix ' screw-steamer, 
Captain Inglefield, arrived. At that time Captain Pul- 
len had been away a month up Wellington Channel, to 
communicate with Sir Edward Belcher. By the time 
he returned the season had so much advanced, that it 
was decided to send back the ' Phoenix' with Lieu- 
tenant Cresswell and his party. On the 4th of Octo- 
ber they landed at Thurso, and on the 7th of October 
arrived at the Admiralty, with the announcement of 
the safety of the ' Investigator,' and the tidings that 
the geographical question of the existence of the long 
sought-for North- West Passage had been satisfactorily 
solved. 

We must now turn briefly to narrate the fate of the 
numerous exploring vessels left in the Arctic regions at 
the setting in of the winter of 1853-4. 

Before we do so, we must, however, give a brief 



268 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

account of the progress made by the persevering and 
brave Captain Collinson. 

When, in 1850, Captain M'Clure succeeded in reach- 
ing the ice through Behring's Straits, the ' Enterprise/ 
from having been somewhat longer on her voyage, was 
not so fortunate, and was compelled to winter in Port 
Clarence. Hence the ' Enterprise ' again sailed, on the 
10th of July 1851, to push her way eastward along 
the American coast, visiting the islands which form 
the northern shore of the channel. Here he found 
several depots and marks left by Captain M'Clure in 
the spring or in the previous autumn. The ' Eater- 
prise' finally was frozen in, in a sheltered harbour in 
Prince Albert's Land, near the entrance of Prince of 
Wales's Straits. 

Several long and hazardous expeditions were per- 
formed on foot with sledges during the spring of 1852, 
both north and east, being out between forty and fifty 
days. Again putting to sea, the 'Enterprise' passed 
through Dolphin and Union Straits and Dean's Straits 
eastward. By the 26th of September the ' Enterprise ' 
reached Cambridge Bay, when she was again frozen in, 
to pass her third winter in the ice — one of the most 
severe ever experienced in those regions. During the 
next spring, that of 1853, Captain Collinson, with his 
Lieutenants Jago, Parkes, and other officers, were em- 
ployed in pushing on their laborious explorations in the 
direction where they hoped some traces of their long- 
lost countrymen might be found. In latitude 70° 3' N. 
and long. 101° 0' W. they fell in with a cairn erected by 
Dr Rae, from which they obtained the first intimation 
that any parties had preceded them in the search, and 
their observations tended to corroborate his, viz. that 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 269 

the ice, except in extraordinary seasons, does not leave the 
east coast of Victoria Land. 

Little did Captain Collinson know that, from the 

I, shore on which he stood, as he looked eastward he 
' gazed on the very ice-field in which the ' Erebus' and 
\ Terror' had been beset, and that amid it, not many 
miles distant, the brave, the noble Franklin had breathed 
his last — that it was during an extraordinary season the 
two exploring ships had entered the icy snare, from 
|! which they were never to be released. 

But we are anticipating the events of our deeply 
interesting and melancholy history. 

Captain Collinson and his companions reached their 
ship on the 31st of May, after an absence of forty-nine 
days. It will be thus seen, that in justice the honour 
should be awarded to Captain Collinson and his fol- 
lowers, equally with Captain M'Clure and his, of having 
discovered the North-West Passage. Indeed, it is be- 
lieved that it is only by the way he came, if any passage 
is practicable, that a ship could get round from the 
east to the west. 

On August the 10th, the 'Enterprise' once more 
put to sea, steering westward. The Straits were found 
free of ice till they were abreast of the mouth of the 
Coppermine River, where they were detained till the 
23d. They passed Cape Bathurst on the 31st, again 
encountering ice ; Herschel Island on the 5th of Sep- 
tember ; and after encountering various obstacles, were 
finally fixed for the winter on the west side of Camden 
Bay. 

The season passed mildly away. In the spring 
more expeditions were made, and visits received from 
the Esquimaux. The ship was not free till the 20th 



270 ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

July. She reached Port Clarence on the 21st of 
August ; and at length Captain Collinson was able to 
send home despatches announcing the safety of his ship, 
officers, and crew. 

We are inclined to consider Captain Collinson's 
voyage, with the light of the information subsequently 
given us, not only as the most remarkable of all the 
Arctic voyages, but as guided by the greatest wisdom, 
and executed with a courage, forethought, and perse- 
verance unsurpassed. He may well claim the honour 
of being " the first navigator who took a ship of 530 
tons through the narrow Dolphin and Union Straits 
and Dease's Strait, ice-strewn and rocky as they are, 
in safety to Cambridge Bay (105° W.), preserved his 
men in health through three winters, and finally brought 
them home in health and his ship in safety." 

We must now return to Sir Edward Belcher's ex- 
pedition. The greatest service it rendered was through 
Captain Kellet, by whose means the brave Captain 
M'Clure and his crew were rescued from their perilous 
position. We left the ' Resolute ' and ' Intrepid ' on 
the northern side of the Strait, frozen up in Bridport 
Inlet, in the spring of 1853. Although a northern 
gale drove them to sea during the summer, when they 
drifted about for eighty-seven days helplessly in the 
park till off Cape Cockburn, on the 12th November 
they were again frozen in ; and the ' Investigator ' also 
remaining fixed, was abandoned, the officers and crew 
spending the winter on board the ' Resolute.' The 
'Assistance' and 'Pioneer' being likewise frozen in, 
Captain Kellet received orders from Sir Edward Belcher 
to abandon his part of the squadron; and on the 26 th 
of August the two last-named ships were also aban- 



ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 271 

doned, the officers and crews arriving safely on board 
the 'North Star' on the following day at Beechey 
Island. Fortunately the next day the ' North Star ' 
met the i Phoenix ' and l Talbot/ when all the ships 
returned to England. 

All due praise must be awarded to the gallant officers 
and men of the expedition, who exerted themselves 
heroically in the great cause they had undertaken. An 
Arctic passage was discovered, M'Clure and his followers 
performed it on the ice, probably the only way in which 
it ever will be performed; but the most important 
Arctic mystery was still unsolved — the fate of Franklin 
remained undiscovered. It was only known where he 
was not. As if to teach all those engaged in that 
well-arranged, powerful expedition a lesson of humility, 
the discovery was reserved for others with far humbler 
means at their disposal. 



VOYAGE OP THE 'FOX.' 

None of the numerous expeditions sent forth to discover 
traces of Sir John Franklin's expedition afford matter 
of greater interest than that of the little yacht the 
' Fox/ while it has surpassed all in successfully clearing 
up the mystery which for ten long years or more hung 
over the fate of that gallant Arctic explorer and his 
brave companions. 

The 'Fox,' a screw-steamer of 177 tons, was the 
property of Lady Franklin, and the command of her 
was confided to Captain M'Clintock, R.N., who had 
already made several Arctic voyages. He had as 
officers Lieutenant Hobson, R.N., and Captain Allan 
Young, a noble-minded commander of the mercantile 
marine; with Dr Walker as surgeon, and Mr Carl 
Petersen as interpreter. She was prepared at Aber- 
deen for her arduous undertaking, and sailed 1st July 
1857. She entered Baffin's Bay, and had got as far 
north as Melville Bay, on its north-west shore, when 
she was beset by the ice early in September, and there 
blocked up for the winter. 

Soon after midnight on the 25th April 1858, she 
was once more under weigh, and forcing her way out 
from among huge masses of ice thrown in on her by the 
ocean swell. Repeatedly the ice masses were hurled 
against the sharp iron bow, causing the vessel to shake 
violently, the bells to ring, and almost knocking the 
crew off their feet. On one occasion the ice stopped 



VOYAGE OF THE * FOX.' 273 

the screw for some minutes. Anxious moments those 
— " After that clay's experience I can understand how 
men's hair has turned grey in a few hours," says 
Captain M'Clintock. 

Touching at the Danish settlements to refit, and at 
Pond's Bay, the little ' Fox,' narrowly escaping de- 
struction, at length reached Beechey Island on the 
11th of August. Here a tablet was erected to the 
memory of Sir John Franklin and his officers and 
crew, and the ' Fox,' having filled up with stores and 
coals from the depot there, left again on the 16th. 

On the 18th she had run twenty-five miles down 
Peel's Straits, the hopes of all raised to the utmost, 
when a pack of ice appeared, barring their farther 
progress. Putting about, she visited the depot at 
Port Leopold, where boats and an abundant supply of 
all sorts of articles were found, which, in case of the 
destruction of their own vessel, would afford the ex- 
plorers a fair prospect of escape. 

Far different was the condition of Arctic explorers 
now, than it had been when Franklin sailed on his 
fatal expedition. Then they had to depend entirely 
on their own resources ; now, through the sagacity 
and forethought of those who sent them forth, depots 
of provisions and boats and sledges, and even huts, had 
been provided, to effect every possible means of escape, 
should any disaster overtake their ships. 

Captain M'Clintock, on leaving Leopold Harbour, 
sailed north down Prince Regent's Inlet, but in vain 
attempted to force a passage through any channel to 
the east. At last he returned some way north to 
Bellot's Straits, discovered by Mr Kennedy, and called 
after his unfortunate companion, Lieutenant Bellot, of 



274 VOYAGE OF THE < FOX.' 

the French navy, who lost his life when belonging to 
Sir Edward Belcher's expedition. He passed some 
distance through Bellot's Straits, and the ' Fox ' was 
finally beset, on the 28th September, in a beautiful 
little harbour in them, to which the name of Kennedy 
Harbour was given. 

Depots were now established by travelling parties 
to the north-east, some eighty miles or more from the 
ship, and all preparations made for prosecuting their 
interesting search in the spring. This commenced the 
winter of 1858-59, the second passed by the l Fox ' in 
the ice. 

On the 17th February, Captain M'Clintock started 
with Mr Petersen and one man, Thompson, on a long 
pedestrian expedition, with two sledges drawn by 
dogs. Lieutenant Hobson set off about the same 
time, as did also Captain Young, — all three expedi- 
tions in different directions, towards the south ; the 
two first accomplished several hundred miles to King 
William's Island. 

Great indeed were the trials and hardships they 
underwent in these expeditions. Day after day they 
trudged on, employed for two hours each evening, 
before they could take their food or go to rest, in 
building their snow huts, exposed to biting winds, to 
snow and sleet, and often to dense fogs. 

On one occasion one man alone of a whole party 
escaped being struck by snow-blindness ; and he had 
to lead them with their packs, and to guide them back 
to the vessel. How terrible would have been their 
fate had he also been struck with blindness ! 

On the west coast of King William's Island, which 
is separated by a broad channel from the mainland of 



VOYAGE OF THE l FOX.' 275 

America, they fell in with several families of Esqui- 
maux, among whom numerous relics of the Franklin 
expedition were discovered. The most interesting 
were purchased. Farther north, on the west coast, a 
cairn was found, within which was a paper with the 
announcement of Sir John Franklin's death, and with 
the sad statement, written at a subsequent period, that 
it had been found necessary to abandon the ships and 
to proceed to the southward. 

A boat on runners also was found with two skele- 
tons in her, and another skeleton at a distance — all 
too plainly telling a tale which shall be narrated here- 
after. The Esquimaux also said that they had seen 
men sink down and die along the shore ; and that 
one ship had gone down crushed by the ice, and that 
another had been driven on shore. With this terrible 
elucidation of the long-continued mystery, only partly 
cleared up before by Dr Rae, they began their return 
journey. 

On the 19th of June, Captain M'Clintock reached 
his ship, the ice having begun to melt with the in- 
creased warmth of the weather. August arrived, and 
the explorers began to look out anxiously for the 
breaking up of the ice. 

At last, on the 10th, a favourable breeze drove the 
ice out of the bay, and the trim little 4 Fox,' under 
sail and steam, merrily darted out of her prison, and 
hurried north towards Barrow's Straits. She reached 
Baffin's Bay, and, touching at the Danish settlements, 
arrived in the English Channel on the 20th of Septem- 
ber, having made the passage under sail in nineteen 
days from Greenland. 



276 FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. 

THE FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. 

The last intelligence which had been received of the 
' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' was from the whalers in July 
1845, at Melville Bay. Thence the expedition passed 
on through Lancaster Sound to Barrow's Straits, and 
entered Wellington Channel, the southern entrance 
to which had been discovered by Sir Edward Parry 
in 1819. Up it the ships sailed for 150 miles, when, 
being stopped by the ice, they returned south by a new 
channel into Barrow's Straits, and passed the winter of 
1845-46 at Beechey Island. In 1846 they proceeded 
to the south-west, and ultimately reached within twelve 
miles of the north entrance of King William's Land. 

Here they spent the winter of 1846-47, as far as can 
be known, in the enjoyment of good health, and with 
the intention and hope of prosecuting their voyage to 
the westward through the only channel likely to be open 
along the northern shore of America, and from the 
known portion of which they were only then ninety miles 
distant. 

On Monday, the 24th May 1847, Lieutenant Gore, 
with Mr Des Vceux, mate, and a party of six men, 
left the ship, and proceeded for some purpose to King 
William's Island, where, on Point Yictory, he de- 
posited a document stating that Sir John Franklin 
and all were well. 

This document was afterwards visited by Captain 
Crozier, and a brief but sad statement of after events 
written on it. In less than three weeks after that 
time, the brave, kind, and well-beloved commander of 
the expedition, Sir John Franklin, had ceased to 
breathe, as Captain Crozier states that he died on the 



fate of sir john franklin's expedition. 277 

11th of June 1847. Who can doubt that his life was 
taken by a merciful Providence before he could become 
aware of the dreadful doom about to overtake his 
gallant followers ? 

Probably Lieutenant Gore returned from that journey 
of exploration, as Captain Crozier speaks of him as the 
late Commander Gore, showing that on the death of 
their chief he had been raised a step in rank, but not 
long to enjoy it — he having among others passed away. 
The command of the expedition now devolved on Cap- 
tain Crozier ; but who can picture his anxiety and that 
of his officers and men, as the summer of 1847 drew 
on — the sea open to the north and south, but the ships 
immovably fixed in the vast mass of ice driven down 
upon them from Melville Sound? How bitter must have 
been their grief and disappointment when August and 
September passed away, and they found that they must 
pass another winter, that of 1847-48, in those regions! 
We know, too, that the ships were only provisioned up 
to 1848. 

Painfully that dreary winter must have passed away, 
and sad must have been the feelings of Captains Crozier 
and Fitzjames when they came to the resolution of 
abandoning the ships, by which a high sense of duty 
had induced them hitherto to remain. 

TJp to 22d April 1848, the total loss by deaths had 
been nine officers and fifteen men. On the 22d April 
1848, Captains Crozier and Fitzjames, with their officers 
and crews, consisting of 105 men, abandoned their ice- 
bound ships, and landed on the 25th on King William's 
Island, and started the following day for Back's Fish 
River, which runs through the Hudson's Bay territories 
from the south. 



278 FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. 

_ Their hope was that they might, voyaging up that 
river, at length reach some of the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany's trading posts. That they reached the mouth of 
Fish River we have melancholy evidence. Here they 
probably encamped ; and, when the season advanced, 
proceeded some way up, but, finding the difficulties of 
the navigation insurmountable, they returned to the 
mouth of the river, with the intention perhaps of pro- 
ceeding along the coast to the westward through the 
North-West Passage, which they now knew for a 
certainty to exist. Before, however, they could do 
this, it was necessary to send to the ships for stores 
and any provisions which might have remained on 
board. 

For this purpose a strong party must have been 
detached with a boat on a sledge, showing that they 
started rather early in the summer season, before the 
Straits were frozen over, or late in the spring, when 
they might expect to have to return by water. They 
greatly overrated their strength. When still eighty 
miles from the ships, they left the boat with two or 
more invalids in her, and a variety of valuables, hoping 
to reach the ships more speedily, and to return to her. 
One or more of those left with the boat attempted to 
follow, and dropped by the way. Some, perhaps, 
reached the ships, and attempted to regain the boat ; 
but the greater number, overcome with hunger, disease, 
and cold, fell on their northward journey, never to rise 
again. 

Two skeletons were found in the boat ; and one, 
supposed to be that of a steward, between her and the 
ships. Of the ships, one was seen by the Esquimaux 
to go down, while the other drove on shore with one 



FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN^ EXPEDITION. 279 

body only on board, probably that of a person who 
had died during the final visit. Certain it is that no 
one regained the boat on their return journey to the 
south. Plate and vast quantities of clothing were 
found along the route, showing that on leaving the 
ships the hapless men considered themselves capable 
of considerable exertion ; and, as they carried a large 
amount of powder and shot, they undoubtedly hoped 
to maintain themselves by means of their guns. 

In vain did the main bodv at the mouth of Back's 
Fish River wait the return of their shipmates. Week 
after week, month after month, passed by — they did not 
appear. How long they remained encamped on this 
bleak and barren coast it is difficult to determine. If 
the account received by Dr Rae is to be credited, it 
was not till the spring of 1850 that the survivors of 
that gallant band made a last desperate attempt to 
push their way inland, and sank down, as had their 
companions in suffering many months before them. 
Thus perished the whole of that gallant band of true- 
hearted seaman, who, with high hopes and spirits, had 
left England five years before in the prosecution of an 
undertaking which they had every reason to believe 
w r ould so greatly redound to the honour and glory of 
England, and to their own high renown. The task was 
accomplished; a knowledge of the North- West Passage 
was obtained. Their lives were sacrificed in the attain- 
ment ; but they won names imperishable in English 
Naval History, and gave another example of the un- 
daunted courage, hardihood, and perseverance of 
British seamen. 



ACTS OF HEROISM PERFORMED OF 
LATE BY NAVAL MEN. 

Of late years the officers and seamen of the Royal Navy 
have had fewer opportunities of distinguishing them- 
selves afloat than on shore. At the same time, at no 
period have they given, on numerous trying occasions, 
more undoubted proof of the admirable discipline and 
devotion to their officers, than at present prevails in 
the Navy. 

Before, however, we proceed, we will make mention 
of two acts of devotion performed of late by seamen. 

George Hinckley, Able Seaman of H.M.'s sloop 
' Sphinx,' obtained the Victoria Cross. The British 
were attacking the city of Fung Wha, when, as the 
storming party were approaching the east gate, Mr 
Coker, master's assistant of the ' Sphinx,' fell desper- 
ately wounded. Had he been left where he fell he 
must have perished, when Hinckley, lifting him in 
his arms, carried him under a heavy and continuous 
fire of musketry, jingalls, and stink-pots, to a joss- 
house a hundred and fifty yards distant, where, placing 
him in safety, he immediately returned to the gate. 
On arriving there he found another officer, Mr Bremen 
of Ward's forces, who had also been wounded in the 
advance on the gate. The gallant fellow again volun- 



LATE ACTS OF HEROISM. 281 

teered to cross the open, which he did under a hot fire, 
bearing on his shoulders the wounded officer, whom he 
left under shelter, and once more hurried back to his 
perilous position under the gate. Happily he escaped 
without a wound. 

Samuel Mitchell. — During the war at present 
carried on with the rebel natives of New Zealand, part 
of the crews of the ships on the station have served on 
shore, and unhappily, many valuable lives, both of 
officers and men, have been sacrificed. On the 29th 
April 1864, an attack was made on a strong rebel 
force posted in a native fort, known as the Pah of Te 
Papa, in Tauranga. The first to enter, leading on his 
men, was Commander Hay, of H.M.S. ' Harrier,' and 
by his side was Samuel Mitchell, captain of the fore- 
top of that ship, and then doing duty as captain's cox- 
swain. The British were allowed by their treacherous 
foes to enter the Pah, when suddenly the natives, spring- 
ing up on all sides, poured in so destructive a fire 
that numbers of their assailants fell before it. Among 
them was Commander Hay, who was mortally wounded. 
Although the savages were swarming around, Mitchell 
lifted his captain in his arms, and proceeded to carry 
him out of the Pah. Captain Hay told him that his 
exertions were of no use, that he felt that he was dying, 
and entreated him to seek his own safety by flight ; but, 
in spite of this, the brave man persevered, and, though 
surrounded by enemies, succeeded in carrying his cap- 
tain to the rear. Commodore Sir William Wiseman 
brought Mitchell's name under especial notice for this 
act of gallantry, and he was most deservedly rewarded 
with the Victoria Cross. 



282 LATE ACTS OF HEROISM. 

I had purposed giving some detailed accounts of the 
wrecks which have of late years occurred of ships-of- 
war, and of other losses and disasters in the Navy ; but 
it will, I think, be sufficient to say, that on all occasions 
both officers and men have exhibited the most heroic 
courage and discipline ; that under the most trying cir- 
cumstances, when almost certain destruction awaited 
them, they have gone cheerfully about their duty, and 
remained at their stations till the planks on which they 
stood have been rent asunder, and their ship has sunk 
beneath their feet, or the roaring seas have washed 
them from their hold. Officers and men have vied 
with each other in acts of self-devotion, and an adher- 
ence to the stern dictates of discipline. 

With these examples before us, we may feel assured 
that, in spite of the change in the modern style of warfare, 
whenever England's Navy has to protect England's 
commerce, to defend her shores, or to fight her battles, 
the honour of that glorious banner which has braved a 
thousand years the battle and the breeze will be upheld 
as before, and that, trusting in the guardian hand of 
Providence, Englishmen may still with pride and confi- 
dence sing — 

" Bule, Britannia ! Britannia rules the waves ; 
And Britons never, never shall be slaves." 



THE END. 



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By Barbara Hutton, Author of u Castles and their Heroes. " 
Illustrated by Priolo. Post 8vo, price 5s. cloth elegant ; 
5*. 6d. gilt edges. 



NEW WORK BY CAPTAIN DRAYSON. 

ADVENTURES OF HANS STERK, 

the South African Hunter and Pioneer. By 
Captain Drayson, Author of " Tales of the Outspan," &c. 
Illustrated by Zwecker. Post 8vo, price 5*. cloth elegant ; 
5*. 6d. gilt edges. 

NEW ILLUSTRATED EDITION. 

TRIMMER'S HISTORY OF THE ROBINS. 

Written for the instruction of Children on their treatment of 
animals. With twenty-four beautiful engravings from drawings 
by Harrison Weir. Small quarto, price 6s. cloth elegant ; 
7*. 6d. bevelled boards, gilt edges. 



NEW WORK BY KAY SPEN. 

OUR WHITE VIOLET. 

By Kay Spen, Author of " Gerty and May." With illustra- 
tions by T. S. Wale. Super-royal 16mo, price 2*. 6d. cloth 
elegant ; 3*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 



ILLUSTRATED BY FROLICH. 

THE LITTLE GIPSY. 

By Elie Sauvage. Translated by Anna Blackwell. 
Profusely illustrated by Ernest Frolich. Small 4to, price 5*. 
cloth elegant ; 6s. gilt edges. 



NEPTUNE : 

the Autobiography of a Newfoundland Dog. By the 
Author of "Tuppy," &c. Illustrated by A. T. Elwes, 
Super-royal 1 6mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth elegant ; 3s 6d. coloured, 
gilt edges. 



4 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 

NEW WORK BY MRS. DAVENPORT. 

CONSTANCE AND NELLIE ; 

or, The Lo^t Will. By Emma Davenport, author of 
" Our Birthday?," &c. Frontispiece by T. S. Walk. Fcap. 
8vo, price 2s. (id. cloth elegant ; 3s. gilt edges. 



NEW WORK BY CAPTAIN MARRYAT'S DAUGHTER. 

STOLEN CHERKIES ; 

or, Tell the Truth at Once. By Emilia Marryat 
Norris. Illustrated by F. A. Fraser. Super-royal 16mo, 
price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 36'. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 



NEW WORK BY HOOD'S DAUGHTER. 

TALES OF THE TOYS. 

Told by Themselves. By Frances Freeling Broderip. 
With illustrations by her brother, Tom Hood. Super-royal 
16mo, price 3s. 6d. cloth elegant ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 



ALICE AND BEATEICE. 

By Grandmamma. With illustrations by John Absolon. 
Super-royal 16mo, price 2s. 6i. cloth elegant; 3*. (id. coloured, 
gilt edges. 

COKNER COTTAGE, AND ITS INMATES ; 

or, Trust in God. By Frances Osborne. With illustra- 
tions by the Author. Fcap. 8vo, price 2s. 6d. cloth elegant ; 
3*. gilt edges. 



SUNBEAM : 

a Fairy Tale. By Mrs. Pietzker. With illustrations by 
Alexander Charlemagne. Small post 8vo, price 3*. 6d. 
cloth elegant. 

ANIMALS AND BIRDS : 

Sketches from Nature by Harrison Weir, for the use 
of the young Artist. Royal quarto, publishing in parts, each 
containing three plates and several subjects. Price Is. each. 
(Parts 1 and 2 now ready.) 

NEW WORK BY CHARLES H. ROSS. 

THE BOOK OF CATS : 

a Chit-chat Chronicle of Feline Facts and Fancies; Le- 
gendary, Lyrical, Medical, Mirthful, and Miscellaneous. 
By Charles H. Ross. With Twenty Illustrations by the 
Author. Post 8vo, price 4s. 6d. cloth ; 5.9. gilt edges. 
" A valuable contribution to cat history."— Court Journal. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 



NEW PICTURE BOOK. 

THE ATTRACTIVE PICTURE BOOK : 

a New Girt from the Old Corner, containing numerous 
Illustrations by eminent Artists. Super-royal 4to, price 
'3s. fid. plain ; Is. fid. coloured; 10s. fid. ou cloth and coloured, 
bound in an elegant cover, printed in gold and colours. 



COUSIN TBIX, 

and her Welcome Tales. By Georgiana Craik. With 
Illustrations by F. W. Keyl. Super -royal 1 6mo, price 3*. fid. 
cloth ; 4s. fid. coloured, gilt edges. 
" Bright and lively, with a well-concealed moral."— Guardian. 



CASTLES, AND THEIE HEROES. 

By Barbara Hutton. With Illustrations. Post 8vo, price 
4s. fid. cloth ; 5s. gilt edges. 
" A good conception, cleverly executed." — British Quarterly. 



WORKS FOR BOYS BY CAPTAIN MARRYAT'S DAUGHTER. 

GERALD AND HARRY; 

or, The Bovs in the North. By Emilia Marry at 
Norris. W T ith Illustrations by J. B. Zwecker. Post 8vo, 
price 5s. cloth ; 5*. fid. gilt edges. 
" The author can tell a story with much spirit ; and on the present occasion 
she has done her best.''— Athenceum. 

THE EAELY STAET IN LIFE. 

By Emilia Marryat Norris. Illustrations by J. Lawson. 
Post 8vo, price 5s. cloth ; 5s. fid. gilt edges. 

"Mrs. Norris has established her own fame, and her paternity is clearly 
proved by the 'knack in story-telling she inherits trom her father."'— Art 
Journal. 



NEW WORK BY JAMES GREENWOOD. 

THE BEAR KING: 

a Narrative confided to the Marines by James Greenwood, 
Author of "The Hatchet Throwers," &c. With Illus- 
trations by Ernest Griset. Printed on toned paper. Small 
4to, price 3s. fid. cloth ; 5*. coloured, gilt edges. 

"More than amusing." — Saturday Review. 

" Ably supported by Griset's drawings." — Athenceum. 



UPSIDE DOWN : 

a Series of Amusing Pictures from Sketches by the late 
W. McConnell, with Verses by Thomas Hood. Coloured 
Plates. 4to, price 2s. fid. fancy boards. 
"Ludicrous and amusing."— Illustrated Times. 



NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



THE LITTLE CHILD'S FABLE BOOK. 

Arranged progressively in words of One, Two, and Three 
Syllables. With Sixteen Page Illustrations by Georgina. 
Bowers. Small 4to, price 3s. 6d. cloth ; 5s. coloured, gilt 
edges. 
" Will be a boon to every nursery." — Art Journal. 

THE YOUNG VOCALIST : 

a Collection of Twelve Songs, each with an Accompaniment 
for the Pianoforte, selected from Mozart, Weber, Men- 
delssohn, Spohr, &c, by Mrs. Mounsey Bartholomew, 
Associate of the Philharmonic Society. 4to, price 2s. coloured 
paper cover ; or 3s. 6d. bound in extra cloth, gilt edges. 

" These Lyrics are selected and composed for children who are too young 
to sing operatic or romantic songs, or too old for those founded on nursery 
tales. The melodies are all of a suitable compass, so that the voices may 
not be injured by practice at an early agre." — Extract from Preface. 

"Arranged with the best possible taste and skill."— Musical World. 

THE CONFESSIONS OF A LOST DOG, 

Reported by her Mistress, Frances Power Cobbe. With 
a Photograph of the Dog from Life, by Frank Haes. Super- 
royal 16mo, price 2*. cloth, gilt edges. 



HIS NAME WAS HEEO. 

By the Author of " The Four Seasons." Frontispiece by 
Sir W. Calcott, R.A. Super-royal 16mo, price Is. sewed. 

BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 

HOW I BECAME A GOVERNESS. 

Third Edition. Price 2s. cloth ; 2*. 6d. gilt edges. 

DICKY-BIBDS : 

a True Story. Third Edition. With Frontispiece. Price 6d. 
MY PRETTY PUSS. With Frontispiece. Price 6d. 

THE GRATEFUL SPARROW : 

a True Story. With Frontispiece. Fifth Edition, price 6d. 

THE ADVENTUEES OF A BUTTEEFLY. 

From the French of P. J. Stahl. Seven Engravings. 
Price 8d. 

THE HARE THAT FOUND HIS WAY HOME. 

From the French of P. J. Stahl. Price 6d. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 



POPULAR WORKS BY JOHN TIMBS. 

NOOKS AND COBNEKS OF ENGLISH LIFE, 

Past and Present. By John Timbs. With Illustrations. 
Post 8vo, price 6s. cloth ; 6s. 6d. gilt edges. 

11 Fresh and racy is the matter brought together." — Athenccum. 

" There is not a chapter in the whole work in which instructive matter is 
not found." — London Review. 

" A book which ought to find a place in one of the 'nooks and corners ' of 
every library." — The Reliquary. 

STKANGE STORIES OF THE ANIMAL WOKLD: 

a Book of Curious Contributions to Natural History. By 
John Timbs. With Seven Illustrations by Zwecker, &c. 
Post 8vo, price 6s. cloth ; 6s. 6d. gilt edges. 

" Among all the books of the season that will be studied with profit and 
pleasure, there is not one more meritorious in aim, or more successful in 
execution." — A thenceum. 

LADY BOITNTIFUL'S LEGACY 

to her Family and Friends : a Book of Practical 
Instructions and Duties, Counsels, and Experiences in 
Housekeeping and Domestic Management. Post 8vo, price 
6s. cloth elegant ; 7*- bevelled boards, gilt edges. 

" When it is remembered that the sum total of our worldly happiness rests 
with the comforts and amenities of home life, the true value of the teaching 
in this book cannot fail of being fully appreciated." — Morning Post. 

"There is something to be found in this Volume about every thing which 
concerns the household."-— Churchman. 



CHARLES BENNETT'S LAST WORK. 

LIGHTSOME AND THE LITTLE GOLDEN LADY. 

Written and illustrated by C. H. Bennett. Twenty-four 
Engravings. Fcap. 4to, price 3s. 6d. cloth elegant; 4s. 6d. 
coloured, gilt edges. 

" The work of a man who is sure to put some touch of a peculiar genius 
into whatever he does." — Pall Mall Gazette. 

11 There is rare fun for the little ones, and there is genius in the fun." 

No nco nfo rmist. 

CASIMIR, THE LITTLE EXILE. 

By Caroline Peachey. With Illustrations by C. Stanton. 
Post 8vo, price 4s. 6d. cloth elegant ; 5*. gilt edges. 

" The tone of ' Casimir ' is healthy, and the story will be found no less 
beneficial than interesting." — Athenceum. 

LUCY'S CAMPAIGN : 

a Story of Adventure. By Mary and Catherine Lee. 
With Illustrations by George Hay. Fcap. 8vo, price 3s. 
cloth elegant ; 3s. 6d. gilt edges. 

"The adventures 'Lucy' goes through are detailed in a remarkably 
agreeable manner." — The Queen. 



NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



GEBTY AND MAY. 

By the Author of " Granny's Story Box." With Illustrations 
by M. L. Vining. Super-royal lb'mo, price 2*. 6d. cloth 
extra ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

"A charming book for children. Though the story is full of fun, the 
moral is never lost sight of."— Literary Churchman. 



BY THE HON. MISS BETHELL. 

HELEN IN SWITZERLAND. 

By the Hon. Augusta Bethell. With Illustrations by 
E. Whymper. Super-royal 16mo, price 3s. 6d. cloth extra ; 
4*. (id. coloured, gilt edges. 
" A pleas ant Variety of local legend and history, mingled with the incidents 
of travel."— The Spectator. 

ECHOES OF AN OLD BELL, 

and other Tales of Fairy Lore. Illustrations by F. W. 
Keyl. Price 3*. 6d. cloth ; 4*. Gd. coloured, gilt edges. 

" A delightful hook of well-conceived and elegantly -written fairy tales." — 
Literary Churchman. 

WILD KOSES ; 

or, Simple Stories op Country Life. By Frances 
Freeling Broderip. With Illustrations by H. Anelay. 
Post 8vo, price 3s. 6d. cloth elegant ; 4s. gilt edges. 

"Written with the grace and truthfulness which the daughter of Tom 
Hood knows so well how to impart." — Art Journal. 



NURSEKY TIMES ; 

or, Stories about the Little Ones. By an Old Nurse. 
With Illustrations by J. Lawson. Imperial 16mo> price 
3s. 6d. cloth ^ 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

"The Stories are full of fun and seriousness in happy combination." — 
Nonconformist. 

THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF THE CLUMSY 

BOY CRUSOE. By Charles H. Ross. With Twenty- 
three Coloured Illustrations. Imperial 8vo, price 2s. 

INFANT AMUSEMENTS ; 

or, How to Make a Nursery Happy. With Practical 
Hints to Parents and Nurses on the Moral and Physical 
Training of Children. By W. H. G. Kingston. Post 8vo, 
price 3s. 6d. cloth. 

"We urge parents most strongly to obtain this book forthwith; we know 
of no book, that can compare with it in practical value. Each chapter is 
Avorth the price of the book."— Our Fireside. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 



TAKING TALES FOE COTTAGE HOMES, 

in Plain Language and Large Type. With Engravings. 
Crown 8vo, price 4d. each. 
No. 1. The Miller of Hillbrook : a Rural Tale. 

2. Tom Trueman; a Sailor in a Merchantman. 

3. Michael Hale and his Family in Canada. 

4. John Armstrong, the Soldier. 

5. Joseph Rudge, the Australian Shepherd. 

6. Life Underground ; or, Dick the Colliery Boy. 

7. Life on the Coast ; or, the Little Fisher Girl. 

8. Adventures of Two Orphans in London. 

9. Early Days on Board a Man-of-War. 

10. Walter the Foundling : a Tale of Olden Times. 

11. The Tenants of Sunnyside Farm. 

12. Holmwood ; or, the New Zealand Settler. 

The Work may also be had in Four Volumes. Price 1*. 6d. each, 
cloth, printed covers ; or 2 vols, cloth, extra, 3*. 6d. each. 



WORKS BY LADY LUSHINGTON. 

ALMEKIA'S CASTLE; 

or, My Early Life in India and England. By Lady 
Lushington. With Twelve Illustrations. Super-royal 16'mo, 
price 4s. 6d. cloth ; 5s. gilt edges. 

" The Authoress has a very graphic pen, and brings before our eyes, with 
singular vividness, the localities and modes of life she aims to describe." — 
London Review. 

HACCO THE DWARF ; 

or, The Tower on the Mountain, and other Tales. 
Illustrated by G. J. Pinwell. Price 3s. 6d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. 
coloured, gilt edges. 

"Enthusiasm is not our usual fashion, but the excellence of these stories 
is so greatly above the average of most clever tales for the play-room, that 
we are tempted to reward the author with admiration." — Athenceum. 

THE HAPPY HOME; 

or, The Children at the Red House. Illustrated by 
G. J. Pinwell. Second Edition. Price 3s. 6d. cloth; 4s. 6d. 
coloured, gilt edges. 

" A happy mixture of fact and fiction. Altogether it is one of the best 
books of the kind we have met with." — Guardian. 



FEATHERLAND ; 

or, How the Birds lived at Greenlawn. By G. W. 
Fenn. With Illustrations by F. W. Keyl. Super-royal 
16mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" A delightful book for children. There is no story, but the happiest 
perception of childish enjoyment is contained in fanciful sketches of bird- 
life."— Examiner. 



10 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



THE AUSTRALIAN BABES IN THE WOOD : 

a True Story told in Rhyme for the Young. With Fourteen 
Illustrations by Hugh Cameron ; J. McWhirtie ; Geo. 
Hay ; J. Lawson, &c. Imperial 16mo, price Is. 6d. fancy 
boards ; 2s. cloth, gilt edges. 

TEOTTIE'S STOEY BOOK : 

True Tales in Short Words and Large Type. By the Author 
of "Tuppy," &c. Eight Illustrations by Weir. Second 
Edition. Price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

TINY STORIES FOR TINY READERS IN TINY 

WORDS. By the Author of " Trottie's Story Book." With 
Twelve Illustrations by Weir. Third Edition. Price 2s. 6d. 
cloth ; 3*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

WOEK IN THE COLONIES : 

some Account of the Missionary Operations of the Society for 
the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. With Map 
and Sixteen Illustrations. Royal 16mo, price 5s. cloth. 

THE FAIRY TALES OF SCIENCE. 

By J. C. Brough. With 16 Beautiful Illustrations by C. H. 
Bennett. New Edition. Fcap. 8vo, price 5s. cloth. 

" Science, perhaps, was never made more attractive and easy of entrance 
into the youthful mind." — The Builder. 

"Altogether the volume is one of the most original, as well as one of the 
most useful, books of the season." — Gentleman's Magazine. 

EAELY DAYS OF ENGLISH PEINCES. 

By Mrs. Russell Gray. Illustrations by John Franklin. 
New and Enlarged Edition. Super-royal 16'mo, price 3*. 6d. 
cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

PICTEEES OF GIEL LIFE. 

By Catharine Augusta Howell. Frontispiece by 
F. Eltze. Fcap. 8vo, price 3s. cloth ; 3*. 6d. gilt edges. 

"A really healthy and stimulating hook for girls." — Nonconformist. 

PAGES OF CHILD LIFE. 

By Catharine Augusta Howell. With Three Illustra- 
tions. Fcap. 8vo, price 3*. 6d. cloth. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 11 

WORKS BY M. BETHAM EDWARDS. 

THE PEIMBOSE PILGEIMAGE : 

a Woodland Story. By M. Betham Edwards. Illustrated 
by T. R. Macquoid. Imperial 16mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth; 
3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" One of the best books of children's verse that has appeared since the 
early days of Mary Howitt." — Nonconformist. 

" The Poems are full of interest, and the illustrations charming." — Art 
Journal. 

SCENES AND STOEIES OF THE EHINE. 

By M. Betham Edwards. With Illustrations by F. W. 
Keyl. Price 3*. 6d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

"Full of amusing incidents, good stories, and sprightly pictures." — The 
Dial. 

HOLIDAYS AMONG THE MOUNTAINS; 

or, Scenes and Stories of Wales. By M. Betham 
Edwards. Illustrated by F. J. Skill. Super -royal 16mo, 
price 3s. 6d. cloth ; 4*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 



THE FOUR SEASONS : 

a Short Account of the Structure of Plants, being Four 
Lectures written for the Working Men's Institute, Paris. 
With Illustrations. Imperial 16'mo, price 3*. 6d. cloth. 

"Distinguished by extreme clearness, and teem with information of a 
useful and popular character." — Guardian. 

SPECTROPIA; 

or, Surprising Spectral Illusions, showing Ghosts every 
where, and of any Colour. By J. H. Brown. Fifth Edition. 
Quarto. Coloured Plates. Price 2s. 6d. fancy boards. 

" One of the best scientific toy books we have seen." — Athenceum. 

" A clever book. The illusions are founded on true scientific principles." 
— Chemical News. 

"We heartily commend Mr. Brown's ingenious work." — The Lancet. 

THE LOVES OF TOM TUCKER AND LITTLE BO-PEEP. 

Written and Illustrated by Thomas Hood. Quarto, price 
2s. 6d. coloured plates. 

"Full of fun and of good innocent humour. The illustrations are 
excellent." — The Critic. 

NURSERY FUN; 

or, The Little Folks' Picture Book. The Illustrations 
by C. H. Bennett. Quarto, price 2*. 6d. coloured plates. 

"Will be greeted with shouts of laughter in any nursery." — The Critic. 



12 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



FUN AND EARNEST ; 

or, Rhymes with Reason. By D'Arcy W. Thompson. 

Illustrated by Charles Bknnett. Imperial 16mo, price bs. 

cloth ; or 4s. 6d. coloured, cloth elegant, gilt edges." 
" Only a clever man with the touch of a poet's feeling in him can write 
good children's nonsense; such a man the author proves himself to be/'— 
Examiner. 

NURSERY NONSENSE; 

or, Rhymes without Reason. By D'Arcy "W.Thompson. 
With Sixty Illustrations by C. H. Bennett. Second Edition. 
Imperial 16mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth ; or 4s. 6d. coloured, cloth 
elegant, gilt edges. 

" The funniest hook we have seen for an age, and quite as harmless as 
hearty." — Daily Review. 



BY MRS. HENRY WOOD. 

WILLIAM ALL AIE; 

or, Running away to Sea. By Mrs. H. Wood, Author 
of " The Channings," &c. Frontispiece by F. Gilbert. 
New Edition. Fcap, 8vo, price 2s. Gd. cloth ; 3s. gilt edges. 

" There is a fascination about Mrs. Wood's writings from which neither 
old nor young can escape." — Bell's Messenger. 



HISTOKICAL TALES OF LANCASTRIAN TIMES. 

By the Rev. H. P. Dunster, M.A. Illustrations by John 
Franklin. Fcap. 8vo, price 5s. cloth ; 5s. 6d. gilt edges. 

" A volume skilfully treated." — Saturday Review. 

"Conveys a good deal of information about the manners and customs of 
England and France in the 15th century." — Gentleman's Magazine. 

MEMORABLE BATTLES IN ENGLISH HISTORY; 

where Fought, why Fought, and their Results. 
With Lives of the Commanders. By W, H. Davenport 
Adams, Author of " Neptune's Heroes. 5 ' Frontispiece by 
Robert Dudley. Post 8vo, price 6s. extra cloth. 

" Of the care and honesty of the author's labours, the book gives abundant 
proof." — Athenceum. 

PLAT-ROOM STORIES ; 

or, How to make Peace. By Georgiana M. Craik, 
With Illustrations by C. Green. Super-royal 16mo, price 
3*. Gd. cloth; 4*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

° This book will come with ' peace ' upon its wings into many a crowded 
play-room." — Art Journal. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 13 



BY MRS. DAVENPORT. 

THE HOLIDAYS ABKOAD; 

or, Right at Last. By Emma Davenport. With Frontis- 
piece by G. Hay. Fcap. 8vo, price 2s. 6d. cloth extra ; 3*. 
gilt edges. 

THE HAPPY HOLIDAYS; 

or, Brothers and Sisters at Home. Frontispiece by 
F. Gilbert. Fcap. 8vo, price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3*. gilt edges. 

OUE BIRTH DAYS, 

and How to Improve them. Second Edition. Fcap. 
8vo, price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. gilt edges. 

FICKLE FLORA, 

and her Sea-side Friends. Illustrations by J. Absolon. 
Price 3*. 6d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

LITE TOYS; 

or, Anecdotes of our Four-legged and other Pets. 
Illustrations by Harrison Weir. Second Edition. Price 
2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 



DEDICATED TO ROSSINI. 

LITTLE BY LITTLE : 

a series of Graduated Lessons in the Art of Reading Music. 
By the Author of " Conversations on Harmony." Second 
Edition. Oblong 8vo, price 3*. 6d. cloth. 

" One of the best productions of the kind which have yet appeared." — 
Charles Steggall, Mus. B. Cantab. 



THE FAITHFUL HOUND : 

a Story in Verse, founded on Fact. By Lady Thomas. 
With Illustrations by H. Weir. Imperial IGmo, price 2s. 6d. 
cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

JACK FEOST AND BETTY SNOW; 

with other Tales for Wintry Nights and Rainy Days. Illus- 
trated by H. Weir. Second Edition. 2*. 6d. cloth ; 3*. 6d. 
coloured, gilt edges. 

"The dedication of these pretty tales proves by whom they are written ; 
they are indelibly stamped with that natural and graceful method of 
amusing while instructing, which only persons of genius possess." — Art 
Journal. 



14 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 

ALFRED ELWES' BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
With Illustrations. Fcap. 8vo, price 5*. each, cloth. 

LUKE ASHLEIGH; 

or, School Life in Holland. Illustrated by G. Du 
Mauri er. 

"The author's best hook, by a writer whose popularity with boys is 
great."— A thenceum. 

GUY EIVEES ; 

or, A Boy's Struggles in the Great World. 

RALPH SEABROOKE ; 

or, The Adventures op a Young Artist in Piedmont 
and Tuscany. 

FRANK AND ANDREA; 

or, Forest Life in the Island of Sardinia. 

PAUL BLAKE; 

or, The Story of a Boy's Perils in the Islands of 
Corsica and Monte Cristo. 

OCEAN AND HER RULERS : 

a Narrative of the Nations who have held dominion over the 
Sea ; and comprising a brief History of Navigation. 

"The volume is replete with valuable and interesting information; and 
we cordially recommend it as a useful auxiliary in the schoolroom, and 
entertaining companion in the library." — Morning Post. 



DISTANT HOMES ; 

or, The Graham Family in New Zealand. By Mrs. 
I. E. Aylmer. With Illustrations by J. Jackson. Super- 
royal 16mo, price 3*. 6d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" English children will be delighted with the history of the Graham 
Family, and be enabled to form pleasant and truthful conceptions of the 
' Distant Homes ' inhabited by their kindred." — Athenceum. 

NEPTUNE'S HEROES; 

or, The Sea Kings of England, from Hawkins to 

Franklin. By W. H. Davenport Adams. Illustrated by 

Morgan. Fcap. 8vo, price 5s. cloth ; 5*. 6d. gilt edges. 

" We trust Old England may ever have writers as ready and able to 
interpret to her children the noble lives of her greatest men." — Athenceum. 

HAND SHADOWS, 

to be thrown upon the Wall. By Henry Bursill. First 
and Second Series, each containing Eighteen Original Designs. 
Quarto, price 2s. each plain; 2s. 6d. coloured. 
" Uncommonly clever — some wonderful effects are produced." — The Press. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 15 



WORKS BY THOMAS HOOD'S DAUGHTER, ILLUSTRATED BY HER 

BROTHER. 

MAMMA'S MOKNING GOSSIPS; 

or, Little Bits for Little Birds. Being Easy Lessons for 
One Month in Words of One Syllable, and a Story to read for 
each Week. With Fifty Illustrations. Foolscap 4to, price 
3*. cloth ; 45, 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" A perfectly delightful reading-book for the little ones."— Guardian, 

MERRY SONGS FOR LITTLE VOICES. 

The words by Mrs. Broderip ; set to music by Thomas 
Murby. With 40 Illustrations. Fcap. 4to, price 5s. cloth. 

CROSSPATCH, THE CRICKET, AND THE COUNTER- 

PANE : a Patchwork of Story and Song. Super-royal 16mo, 
price 3s. 6d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" Hans Andersen has a formidable rival in this gentle lady." — Art 
Journal. * 

MY GRANDMOTHER'S BUDGET 

of Stories and Verses. Price 3s. 6d. cloth; 4s. 6d. coloured, 
gilt edges. 

TINY TADPOLE, 

and other Tales. Super-royal 16mo, price 3s. 6d. cloth; 
4*. (id. coloured, gilt edges. 

EUNNY FABLES FOR LITTLE FOLKS. 

Second Edition. Super-royal 16mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 
3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

"The Fables contain the happiest mingling of fun, fancy, humour, and 
instruction." — Art Journal. 



OLD NUKSE'S BOOK OF EHYMES, JINGLES, AND 

DITTIES. Illustrated by C. H. Bennett. With Ninety 
Engravings. New Edition. Fcap. 4to, price 3*. 6d. cloth, 
plain ; or 6s. coloured. 

"The illustrations are all so replete with fun and imagination, that we 
scarcely know who will be most pleased with the book, the good-natured 
grandfather who gives it, or the chubby grandchild who gets it, for a 
Christmas Box." — Notes and Queries. 



16 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 

t 

WILLIAM DALTON'S BOOKS FOR BOYS. 
With Illustrations. Fcap. 8vo, price 5s. each cloth. 

LOST IN CEYLON : 

the Story of a Boy's and Girl's Adventures in the Woods and 
Wilds of the Lion King of Kandy. Illustrated by Weir. 

" Clever, exciting, and full of true descriptions of the creatures and 
sights in that noble island." — Literary Gazette, 

THE WHITE ELEPHANT; 

or, The Hunters of Ava, and the King of the Golden 
Foot. Illustrated by Weir. 

THE WAK TIGER; 

or, The Adventures and Wonderful Fortunes of 
the Young Sea-Chief and his Lad Chow. 

"A tale of lively adventure vigorously told, and embodying much 
curious information."— Illustrated News. 



BY CAPTAIN MARRYAT'S DAUGHTER. 

THE CHILDREN'S PIC-NIC, 

and what Came of it. By Emilia Marryat Norris. 
With Illustrations by Augusta Marryat. Super-royal 
16'mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth; 3*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

WHAT BECAME OF TOMMY. 

By Emilia Marryat Norris. With Illustrations by Ab- 
solon. Price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d, coloured, gilt edges. 

A WEEK BY THEMSELVES. 

By Emilia Marryat Norris. Illustrations by C. A. Ed- 
wards. Price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

HAEKY AT SCHOOL. 

Illustrations by Absolon. Second Edition. Price 2s, 6d. 
cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

LONG EVENINGS; 

or, Stories for my Little Friends. Illustrated by Ab- 
solon. Third Edition, price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, 
gilt edges. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 17 



W. H. G. KINGSTON'S BOOKS FOR BOYS. 

With Illustrations by various Artists. Fcap. Svo, price 5s. each, 

cloth. 

TRUE BLUE; 

or, The Life and Adventures of a British Seaman of 
the Old School. 

" There is about all Mr. Kingston's tales a spirit of hopefulness, honesty, 
and cheery good principle, which makes them most wholesome, as well as 
most interesting reading." — Era. 

" With the exception of Capt. Marryat, we know of no English author 
who will compare with Mr. Kingston as a writer of books of nautical adven- 
ture." — Illustrated News. 

WILL WEATHEEHELM; 

or, The Yarn of an Old Sailor about his Early Life 
and Adventures. 

FEED MAEKHAM IN EUSSIA; 

or, The Boy Travellers in the Land of the Czar. 

SALT WATER ; 

or, Neil D'Arcy's Sea Life and Adventures. 

MARK SEAWOETH : 

a Tale of the Indian Ocean. Second Edition. 

PETEETHE WHALEE; 

his Early Life and Adventures in the Arctic 
Regions. Third Edition. 

BY W. H. G. KINGSTON. 

OUE SOLDIERS; 

or, Anecdotes of the Campaigns and Gallant Deeds 
of the British Army during the Reign of Her 
Majesty Queen Victoria. With Frontispiece from a 
Painting in the Victoria Cross Gallery. Second Edition. 
Fcap. 8vo, price 3s. cloth ; 3s. 6d. gilt edges. 

OUE SAILOES ; 

or, Anecdotes of the Engagements and Gallant 

Deeds of the British Navy during the Reign of 

Be& Majesty Queen Victoria. With Frontispiece. 

Second Edition. Fcap. 8vo, price 3s. cloth; 3*. 6d. gilt 
edges. 

"These volumes abundantly prove that both our officers and men in the 
Army and Navy have been found as ready as ever to dare and to do as was 
aared and done of yore, when led by a Nelson or a Wellington." 



18 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 

BY THE AUTHOR OF "TRIUMPHS OF STEAM,'' &c. 

MEADOW LEA; 

or, The Gipsy Children : a Story founded on Fact. With 
Illustrations by John Gilbert. Fcap. 8vo, price 4*. 6d. 
cloth ; 5*. gilt edges. 

THE TRIUMPHS OF STEAM; 

or, Stories from the Lives of Watt, Arkwright, and 
Stephenson. With Illustrations by J. Gilbert. Dedicated 
by permission to Robert Stephenson, Esq., M.P. Second 
Edition. Royal 16mo, price 3*. 6d. cloth; 4s. 6d. coloured, 
gilt edges. 

" A most delicious volume of examples." — Art Journal. 

OUE EASTEEN EMPIRE ; 

or, Stories from the History of British India. Second 
Edition. With Illustrations. Royal 16mo, cloth, 3s. 6d. ; 
4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

"These stories are charming, and convey a general view of the progress of 
our Empire in the East. The tales are told with admirable clearness." — 
AthencBum. 

MIGHT NOT EIGHT ; 

or, Stories of the Discovery and Conquest of 
America. Illustrated by J. Gilbert. Royal 16mo, price 
3*. 6d. cloth ; 4*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 
•" With the fortunes of Columbus, Cortes, and Pizarro, for the staple of 

these stories, the writer has succeeded in producing a verv interesting 

volume." — Illustrated News. 

TUPPY; 

or, The Autobiography of a Donkey. By the Author of 
'* The Triumphs of Steam/' &c. &c. Illustrated by Harrison 
Weir. Second Edition. Super-royal 16mo, price 2*. 6d. 
cloth ; 3*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" A very intelligent donkey, worthy of the distinction conferred upon him 
by the artist." — Art Journal. 



CLAEA HOPE ; 

or, The Blade and the Ear. By Miss Milner. With 
Frontispiece by Birket Foster. Fcap. 8vo, price 3*. tid. 
cloth ; 4s. 6d. cloth elegant, gilt edges. 

" A beautiful narrative, showing how bad habits may be eradicated, and 
evil tempers subdued." — British Mother s Journal. 

HOME AMUSEMENTS : 

a Choice Collection of Riddles, Charades, Conundrums, Farlour 
Games, and Forfeits. By Peter Puzzlewell, Esq. New 
Edition. With Frontispiece by Phiz. i6mo, 2s. 6d. cloth. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 19 

WORKS FOR DISTRIBUTION. 

A WOMAN'S SECRET; 

or, How to Make Home Happy. Twenty -ninth Thou- 
sand. 18mo, price 6 d. 

By the same Author, uniform in size and price, 

WOMAN'S WORK; 

or, How she can Help the Sick. Seventeenth Thousand. 

A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS ; 

or, The Mother's Assistant in Cases of Burns, Scalds, 
Cots, &c. Eighth Thousand. 

PAY TO-DAY, TRUST TO-MORROW : 

a Story illustrative of the Evils of the Tally System. Sixth 
Thousand. 

NURSERY WORK; 

or, Hannah Baker's First Place. Fourth Thousand. 

THE COOK AND THE DOCTOR; 

or, Cheap Recipes and Useful Remedies. Selected 
from the three first books. Price 2d. 



THE LATE THOMAS HOOD. 

FAIRY LAND ; 

or, Recreation for the Rising Generation, in Prose 
and Verse. By Thomas and Jane Hood. Illustrated by 
T. Hood, Jun. Second Edition. Super-royal 16mo, price 
3*. 6d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

"These tales are charming. Before it goes into the Nursery, we recom- 
mend all grown-up people should study ' Fairy Land.' " — Blackwood. 

THE HEADLONG CAREER AND WOEFUL ENDING 

OF PRECOCIOUS PIGGY. Written for his Children, 
by the late Thomas Hood. With a Preface by his Daughter; 
and illustrated by his Son. Fourth Edition. Post 4to, fancy 
boards, price 2*. 6d. coloured. 

"The illustrations are intensely humorous." — The Critic. 



THE ADVENTURES AND EXPERIENCES OF BIDDY 

DORKING AND OF THE FAT FROG. Edited by 
Mrs. S. C. Hall. Illustrated by H. Weir. 2s. 6d. cloth ; 
3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 
" Most amusingly and wittily told." — Morning Hernld. 



20 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



LANDELL'S INSTRUCTIVE AND AMUSING WORKS. 

THE BOY'S OWN TOY MAKEE: 

a Practical Illustrated Guide to the useful employment of 
Leisure Hours. By E. Landells. With Two Hundred 
Cuts. Seventh Edition. Royal 16mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth. 

" A new and valuable form of endless amusement." — Nonconformist. 
"We recommend it to all who have children to be instructed and 
amused." — Economist. 

THE GIEL'S OWN TOT MAKER, 

and Book of Recreation. By E. and A. Landells. 
Fifth Edition. With 200 Illustrations. Royal 16mo, price 
2*. 6d. cloth. 
"A perfect magazine of information." — Illustrated News of the World. 

HOME PASTIME ; 

or, The Child's own Toy Maker. With Practical In- 
structions. By E. Landells. New and Cheaper Edition, 
price 3s. 6d. complete, with the Cards, and Descriptive Letter- 
press. 

*** By this novel and ingenious " Pastime," twelve beautiful 
Models can be made by Children from the Cards, by attending to 
the plain and simple Instructions in the Book. 

"As a delightful exercise of ingenuity, and a most sensible mode of 
passing a winter's evening, we commend the Child's own Toy Maker." — 
Illustrated News. 

" Should be in every house blessed with the presence of children." — The 
Field. 

THE ILLUSTRATED PAPER MODEL MAKER; 

containing Twelve Pictorial Subjects, with Descriptive Letter- 
press and Diagrams for the construction of the Models. By 
E. Landells. Price 2s. in a neat Envelope. 
"A most excellent mode of educating both eye and hand in the knowledge 
of form." — English Churchman. 



HISTORICAL ACTING CHARADES ; 

or, Amusements for Winter Evenings. By the Author 
of " Cat and Dog/' &c. New Edition. Fcap. 8vo, price 
3s. 6d. cloth, gilt edges. 

" A rare book for Christmas parties, and of practical value." — Illustrated 
News. 

THE STORY OF JACK AND THE GIANTS. 

With Thirty- five Illustrations by Richard Doyle. New 
Edition. Price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

*' In Doyle's drawings we have wonderful conceptions, which will secure 
the book a place amongst the treasures of collectors, as well as excite the 
imaginations of children." — Illustrated Times. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 21 

WORKS BY MRS. R. LEE. 

ANECDOTES OF THE HABITS AND INSTINCTS OF 

ANIMALS. Third and Cheaper Edition. With Illustrations 
by Harrison Weir. Fcap. 8vo, 3*. (id. cloth; 4*. gilt 
edges. 

ANECDOTES OF THE HABITS AND INSTINCTS OF 

BIRDS, REPTILES, AND FISHES. With Illustrations by 
Harrison Weir. Second and Cheaper Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 
3*. 6d. cloth ; 4*. gilt edges. 

" Amusing, instructive, and ably written." — Literary Gazette. 
" Mrs. Lee's authorities— to name only one, Professor Owen — are, for the 
most part, first-rate." — Athenceum. 

TWELVE STORIES OF THE SAYINGS AND DOINGS 

OF ANIMALS. With Illustrations by J. W. Archer. Third 
Edition. Super-royal 16mo, 2s. 6d. cloth; 3*. 6d. coloured, 
gilt edges. 

" It is just such books as this that educate the imagination of children, 
and enlist their sympathies for the brute creation." — Nonconformist. 

FAMILIAR NATURAL HISTORY. 

With Forty-two Illustrations from Original Drawings by 
Harrison Weir. Super-royal 16mo, 3*. 6d. cloth; 5*. 
coloured, gilt edges, 
♦jjc* The above may be had in Two Volumes, 2s. each plain, 

2s. 6d. coloured, entitled, " British Animals and Birds," " Foreign 

Animals and Birds." 

PLAYING AT SETTLERS ; 

or, The Faggot House. Illustrated by Gilbert. Second 
Edition, price 2*. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

ADVENTURES IN AUSTRALIA; 

or, The Wanderings of Captain Spencer in the Bush 
and the Wilds. Third Edition. Illustrated by Prout. 
Fcap. 8vo, 3s. 6d. cloth ; 4*. gilt edges. 

" This volume should find a place in every school library; and it will, we 
are sure, be a very welcome and useful prize." — Educational Times. 

THE AFRICAN WANDERERS ; 

or, The Adventures of Carlos and Antonio ; embracing 
interesting Descriptions of the Manners and Customs of the 
Western Tribes, and the Natural Productions of the Country. 
Fourth Edition. With Eight Engravings. Fcap. 8vo, 3a*. 6c?. 
cloth ; 4*. gilt edges. 

"For fascinating adventure, and rapid succession of incident, the volume 
is equal to any relation of travel we ever read." — Britannia. 



22 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 

THE EARLY DAWN; 

or, Stories to Think about. Illustrated by Weir. Price 
2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

ANGELO ; 

or, The Pine Forest among the Alps. By Geraldine 
E. Jewsbury. Illustrations by J. Absolon. Second Edi- 
tion. Price 2*. 6d. cloth; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" As pretty a child's story as one might look for on a winter's day." — 
Examiner. 

TALES OF MAGIC AND MEANING. 

Written and Illustrated by Alfred Crowqtjill. Small 4to, 
price 3s. 6d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured. 
" Cleverly written, and abounding in frolic and pathos. 

FAGGOTS FOE THE FIKE-SIDE ; 

or, Tales of Fact and Fancy. By Peter Parley. With 

Twelve Tinted Illustrations. New Edition. Fcap. 8vo, 
3s. 6d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

1 ' Peter Parley has a happy method of conveying information, while seeming* 
to address himself to the imagination." — The Critic. 

LETTEES FEOM SAEAWAK, 

addressed to a Child ; embracing an Account of the 
Manners, Customs, and Religion of the Inhabitants of Borneo, 
with Incidents of Missionary Life among the Natives. By 
Mrs. M'Dougall. With Illustrations. 3s. 6d. cloth. 

"All is new, interesting, and admirably told." — Church and Slate 
Gazette. 

THE DISCONTENTED CIIILDEEN, 

AND HOW THEY WERE CURED. By M. and E. KlRBY. 

Illustrated by H. K. Browne (Phiz). Third Edition. Price 
2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

"We know no better method of banishing ' discontent' from schoolroom 
and nursery than by intioducing this wise and clever story to their 
inmates." — Art Journal. 

THE TALKING BIED ; 

or, The Little Girl who knew what was going to 
happen. By M. and E. Kirby. With Illustrations by 
H. K. Browne (Phiz). Second Edition. Price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 
3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

JULIA MAITLAND ; 

or, Pride goes before a Fall. By M. and E. Kirby. 
Illustrated by Absolon. Price 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured. 

"It is nearly such a story as Miss Edgeworth might have written on the 
same theme." — The Press. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 23 



GRANNY'S wonderful chair, 

and its Tales of Fairy Times. By Frances Browne. 
Illustrations by Kenny Meadows. 3*. 6d. cloth; 4*. 6(2. 
coloured. 

"One of the happiest blendings of marvel and moral we have ever seen." 
•—Literary Gazette. 

A PEEP AT THE PIXIES ; 

or, Legends of the West. By Mrs. Bray, Author of 
" Life of Stothard," &c. &c. With Illustrations by Phiz. 
Price 3s. 6 d. cloth ; 4s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" A peep at the actual Pixies of Devonshire, faithfully described by Mrs. 
Bray, is a treat. Her knowledge of the locality, her affection for her subject, 
her exquisite feeling for nature, and her real delight in fairy lore, ha\e 
given a freshness to the little volume we did not expect." — Art Journal. 



COMICAL PICTURE BOOKS. 

Uniform in size with "The Struwwelpeter." 

Each with Sixteen large Coloured Plates, price 2s. 6d. t in fancy 
boards ; or mounted on cloth, Is. extra. 

PICTUKE FABLES. 

Written and Illustrated by Alfred Crowqjjill. 

THE CAEELESS CHICKEN. 

By the Baron Krakemsides. By Alfred Crowq,uill. 

FUNNY LEAVES FOR THE YOUNGER BRANCHES. 

By the Baron Krakemsides, of Burstenoudelafen Castle. 
Illustrated by Alfred Crowgiuill. 

LAUGH AND GROW WISE. 

By the Senior Owl of Ivy Hall. With Sixteen large 
coloured Plates. 



THE EEMARKABLE HISTOKY OF THE HOUSE 

THAT JACK BUILT. Splendidly Illustrated and magnifi- 
cently Illuminated by the Son of a Genius. Price 2s. in 
fancy cover. 

"Magnificent in suggestion, and most comical in expression." — Athe- 
nceum. 



24 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



A BOOK FOR EVERY CHILD. 

THE FAVOUKITE PICTURE BOOK. 

With several Hundred Illustrations from Drawings by J. 
Absolon, H. K. Browne (Phiz), J. Gilbert, T. Land- 
seer, J. Leech, J. S. Prout, H. Weir, &c. New Edition. 
Royal 4to, bound in a new and Elegant Cover, price 3s. 6d. 
plain ; Js. 6d. coloured ; 10s. 6d. mounted on cloth and 
coloured. 

SUNDAY EVENINGS WITH SOPHIA; 

or, Little Talks on Great Subjects. By Leonora 
G. Bell. Frontispiece by Absolon. Fcap. 8vo, price 2s. 6d. 
cloth. 

BLIND MAN'S HOLIDAY; 

or, Short Tales for the Nursery. By the Author of 
11 Mia and Charlie." Illustrated by Absolon. Price 3*. 6d. 
cloth ; 4*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

THE WONDERS OF HOME, IN ELEVEN STORIES. 

By Grandfather Grey. With Illustrations. Third and 
Cheaper Edition. Royal 16 mo, 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3*. 6d. co- 
loured, gilt edges. 

Contents. — 1. The Story of a Cup of Tea. — 2. A Lump of 
Coal.— 3. Some Hot Water.— 4. A Piece of Sugar.— 5. The 
Milk Jug. — 6. A Pin. — 7- Jenny's Sash. — 8. Harry's Jacket. 
—9. A Tumbler.—- 10. A Knife.— 11. This Book. 

CAT AND DOG; 

or, Memoirs of Puss and the Captain. Illustrated by 
Weir. Eighth Edition. Super-royal 16mo, 2*'. 6d. cloth ; 
3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" The author of this amusing little tale is, evidently, a keen observer of 
nature. The illustrations are well executed; and the moral which points 
the tale is conveyed in the most attractive form." — Britannia. 

THE DOLL AND HER FRIENDS; 

or, Memoirs of the Lady Seraphina. By the Author of 
" Cat and Dog." Fourth Edition. Illustrations by H. K. 
Browne (Phiz). 2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

TALES FROM CATLAND. 

Dedicated to the Young Kittens of England. By an Old 
Tabby. Illustrated by H. Weir. Fifth Edition. Small 
4to, 2*. 6d. plain ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

" The combination of quiet humour and sound sense has made this one 
of the pleasantest little books of the season." — Lady's Newspaper. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 25 



SCENES OF ANIMAL LIFE AND CHAEACTER, 

from Nature and Recollection. In Twenty Plates. By 
J. B. 4to, price 2*. plain; 2s. (id. coloured, fancy boards. 

" Truer, heartier, more playful, or more enjoyable sketches of animal life 
could scarcely be found any where." — Spectator. 



ELEGANT GIFT FOR A LADY. 

TBEES, PLANTS, AND FLOWERS; 

their Beauties, Uses, and Influences. By Mrs. R. 
Lee. With beautiful coloured Illustrations by J. Andrews. 
8vo, price 1 0*. (id. cloth elegant, gilt edges. 
" As full of interest as of beauty." — Art Journal. 

HAREY HAWKINS'S H-B00K; 

showing how he learned to aspirate his H's. Frontispiece by 
H. Weir. Second Edition. Super-royal 16mo, price 6d. 

" No family or schoolroom within, or indeed beyond, the sound of Bow 
bells, should be without this merry manual." — Art Journal. 

THE FAMILY BIBLE NEWLY OPENED ; 

with Uncle Goodwin's Account of tt. By Jefferys 
Taylor. Frontispiece by J. Gilbert. Fcap. 8vo, 3s. 6d. 
cloth. 

" A very good account of the Sacred Writings, adapted to the tastes, 
feelings, and intelligence of young people." — Educational Times. 

KATE AND EOSALIND ; 

or, Early Experiences. By the Author of " Quicksands 
on Foreign Shores." Fcap. 8vo, 3s. 6d. cloth ; 4s. gilt edges. 

" A book of unusual merit. The story is exceedingly well told, and the 
characters are drawn with a freedom and boldness seldom met with." — 
Church of England Quarterly. 

" The Irish scenes are of an excellence that has not been surpassed since 
the best days of Miss Edgeworth." — Eraser's Magazine. 

GOOD IN EVERYTHING ; 

or, The Early History of Gilbert Harland. By Mrs. 
Barwell. Second Edition. Illustrations by Gilbert. 
2s. 6d. cloth ; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

"The moral of this exquisite little tale will do more good than a thou- 
sand set tasks abounding with dry and uninteresting truisms." — Bell's 
Messenger. 



26 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



NEW AND BEAUTIFUL LIBRARY EDITION. 

THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD : 

a Tale. By Oliver Goldsmith. Printed by Whittinghara. 
With Eight Illustrations by J. Absolon. Square fcap. 8vo, 
price 5s. cloth ; Js. half-bound morocco, Roxburghe style ; 
10*. 6d. antique morocco. 

"Mr. Absolon's graphic sketches add greatly to the interest of the 
volume : altogether, it is as pretty an edition of the ' Vicar' as we have 
seen. Mrs. Primrose herself would consider it 'well dressed.'" — Art 
Journal. 

"A delightful edition of one of the most delightful of works : the fine 
old type and thick paper make this volume attractive to any lover of 
books." — Edinburgh Guardian. 

GLIMPSES OF NATIIEE, 

and Objects of Interest described during a Visit to 
the Isle of Wight. By Mrs. Loudon. Second Edition, 
enlarged. With Forty-one Illustrations. 3s. 6d. cloth. 

11 We could not recommend a more valuable little volume. It is full of 
information, conveyed in the most agreeable manner." — Literary Gazette. 

TALES OF SCHOOL LIFE. 

By Agnes Loudon. With Illustrations by John Absolon. 
Second Edition. Royal 16mo, 2*. (id. plain; 3s. 6d. coloured, 
gilt edges. 



PRICE SIXPENCE EACH, PLAIN; ONE SHILLING, COLOURED. 

In Super-royal 16mo, beautifully printed, each with Seven Illus- 
trations by Harrison Weir, and Descriptions by Mrs. Lee. 



1. BRITISH ANIMALS. 1st Series. 

2. BRITISH ANIMALS. 2nd „ 

3. BRITISH BIRDS. 



4. FOREIGN ANIMALS. 1st Series. 

5. FOREIGN ANIMALS. 2nd „ 

6. FOREIGN BIRDS. 



Uniform in size and price with the above, 

THE FARM AND ITS SCENES. With Six Pictures from 
Drawings by Harrison Weir. 

THE DIVERTING HISTORY OF JOHN GILPIN. With 
Six Illustrations by Watts Phillips. 

THE PEACOCK AT HOME, AND BUTTERFLY'S BALL. 
With Four Illustrations by Harrison Weir. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 2^ 



ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. 

KIT BAM, THE BRITISH SINBAD ; 

or, The Yarns of an Old Mariner. By Mary Cowden 
Clarke. Fcap. 8vo, price 3s. 6d. cloth ; 4s. gilt edges. 

THE DAY OF A BABY BOY. 

By E. Berger. Illustrations by Absolon. Third Edition. 
Super-royal 16'mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth; '6s. (id. coloured, gilt 
edges. 
" A sweet little book for the nursery." — Christian Times. 

CLABISSA DONNELLY; 

or, The History of an Adopted Child. By Geraldine 
E. Jewsbury. Fcap. 8vo, 3s. 6d. cloth ; 4s. gilt edges. 
" With wonderful power, only to he matched by as admirable a sim- 
plicity, Miss Jewsbury has narrated the history of a child." — Lady's 
Companion. 

EVERY-DAY THINGS ; 

or, Useful Knowledge respecting the principal 
Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Substances in com- 
mon use. Second Edition, revised. 18mo, 1*. 6 d. cloth. 
" A little encyclopaedia of useful knowledge, deserving a place in every 
juvenile library." — Evangelical Magazine. 



RHYMES AND PICTURES. 

By William Newman. Twelve Illustrations. Price 6d. 
plain ; Is. coloured ; 2s. 6d. on linen, and bound in cloth. 
Uniform in size and price, 

1. THE HISTORY OF A QUARTERN LOAF. 

2. THE HISTORY OF A CUP OF TEA. 

3. THE HISTORY OF A SCUTTLE OF COALS. 

4. THE HISTORY OF A LUMP OF SUGAR. 

5. THE HISTORY OF A BALE OF COTTON. 

6. THE HISTORY OF A GOLDEN SOVEREIGN. 

# # * May be had in Two Volumes, cloth, 2s. each, plain ; 3s. 6d. 
coloured. 

THE MODERN BRITISH PLUTARCH ; 

or, Lives of Men distinguished in the recent History 
of our Country for their Talents, Virtues, and 
Achievements. By W. C. Taylor, LL.D. 12mo. Second 
Thousand. 4*. 6d. cloth ; 5s. gilt edges. 

" A work which will be welcomed in any circle of intelligent young 
persons." — British Quarterly Review. 



28 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF MAMMA'S BIBLE STORIES. 

FANNY AND HER MAMMA; 

or, Easy Lessons for Children. Illustrated by J. Gil- 
bert. Third Edition. 16mo, 2*. 6d. cloth; 3s. (id. coloured, 
gilt edges. 
" A little book in beautiful large clear type, to suit the capacity of infant 

readers, which we can with pleasure recommend." — Christian Ladies' 

Magazine. 

SHOET AND SIMPLE PEAYEES, 

for the Use of Young Children. With Hymns. Sixth 
Edition. Square 16mo, 1*. cloth. 

" Well adapted to the capacities of children — beginning with the simplest 
forms which the youngest child may lisp at its mother's knee, and pro- 
ceeding with those suited to its gradually advancing age. Special prayers, 
designed for particular circumstances and occasions, are added. We cor- 
dially recommend the book." — Christian Guardian. 

MAMMA'S BIBLE STOEIES, 

for her Little Boys and Girls. Twelfth Edition. Twelve 
Engravings. 2s, 6d. cloth ; 3s. (id. coloured, gilt edges. 

A SEQUEL TO MAMMA'S BIBLE STOBIES. 

Sixth Edition. Twelve Illustrations. 2s. 6d. cloth; 3*. 6d. 
coloured. 

SCEIPTUEE HISTOEIES FOE LITTLE CHILDBEN. 

With Sixteen Illustrations, by John Gilbert. Super-royal 
16mo, price 2s. 6d. cloth; 3s. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

Contents : — The History of Joseph— History of Moses — 
History of our Saviour — The Miracles of Christ. 

Sold separately , 6d. each plain; Is. coloured. 



VISITS TO BEECWOOD FARM; 

or, Country Pleasures. By Catherine M. A. Couper. 
Illustrations by Absolon. 3s. 6d. plain ; 4*. 6d. coloured. 

STOEIES OF JULIAN AND HIS PLAYFELLOWS. 

Written by his Mamma. Illustrations by Absolon. Second 
Edition. 2s. 6d. plain ; 3*. 6d. coloured, gilt edges. 

THE NINE LIVES OF A CAT : 

a Tale of Wonder. Written and Illustrated by C. H. Bennett. 
Twenty-four Engravings. Price 2s. cloth ; 2s. 6d. coloured. 

"Rich in the quaint humour and fancy that a man of genius knows how 
to spare for the enlivenment of children." — Examiner. 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 29 



THE FAVOURITE LIBRARY. 

A Series of Works for the Young; each Volume with an 
Illustration by a well-known Artist. Price Is. cloth. 

1. THE ESKDALE HERD BOY. By Lady Stoddart. 

2. MRS. LEICESTER'S SCHOOL. By Charles and 

Mary Lamb. 

3. THE HISTORY OF THE ROBINS. By Mrs. Trimmer. 

4. MEMOIR OF BOB, THE SPOTTED TERRIER. 

5. KEEPER'S TRAVELS IN SEARCH OF HIS MASTER. 

6. THE SCOTTISH ORPHANS. By Lady Stoddart. 

7. NEVER WRONG; OR, THE YOUNG DISPUTANT; 

and "IT WAS ONLY IN FUN." 

8. THE LIFE AND PERAMBULATIONS OF A MOUSE. 

9. EASY INTRODUCTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF 

NATURE. By Mrs. Trimmer. 

10. RIGHT AND WRONG. By the Author of "Always 

Happy." 

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12. SHORT POEMS AND HYMNS FOR CHILDREN. 

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1. LADY STODDART'S SCOTTISH TALES. 

2. ANIMAL HISTORIES. The Dog. 

3. ANIMAL HISTORIES. The Robins and Mouse. 

4. TALES FOR BOYS. Harry's Holiday, and Never 

Wrong. 

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Right and Wrong. 

6. POETRY AND NATURE. Short Poems, and Trim- 

mer's Introduction. 



30 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 

MAUD SUMMERS THE SIGHTLESS : 

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"All who wish to mind their p's and q's should consult this little 
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TALES FROM THE COURT OE OBERON; 

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f 



PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 31 



STOEIES FEOM THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, 

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WARS OF THE JEWS, 

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32 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



MARIN DE LA VOYE'S ELEMENTARY FRENCH WORKS. 

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EOWBOTHAM'S NEW AND EASY METHOD OF 

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LE BABILLAED : 

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DEE SCHWATZEB; 

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TABULAE VIEWS OF THE GEOGBAPHY AND 

SACRED HISTORY OF PALESTINE, AND OF THE 
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By the late Lady Fenn, under the assumed name of Mrs. 
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With 300 Illustrations by J. Gilbert. New Edition, price 6d. ; 
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PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 33 



ALWAYS HAPPY ; 

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34 NEW AND INTERESTING WORKS 



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HOW TO BE HAPPY ; 

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INFANTINE KNOWLEDGE : 

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THE LADDEE TO LEARNING: 

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One, Two, and Three Syllables. Edited by Mrs. Trimmer. 
With Seventy-nine Cuts. Nineteenth Edition. 2s. 6d. cloth. 

LITTLE LESSONS FOE LITTLE LEAENEES, 

in Words of One Syllable. By Mrs. Barwell. Tenth 
Edition. With numerous Illustrations. 2s. 6d. plain ; 3s. 6d. 
coloured, gilt edges. 

THE LITTLE EEADEE : 

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MAMMA'S LESSONS, 

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PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARRAN. 35 



THE MINE ; 

or, Subterranean Wonders. An Account of the Opera- 
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Forty-five Woodcuts and Sixteen Steel Engravings. 3s. 6d. 
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RHODA ; 

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THE STUDENTS ; 

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STORIES OE EDWARD AND HIS LITTLE ERIENDS. 

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SUNDAY LESSONS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN. 

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DISSECTIONS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. 

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36 WORKS PUBLISHED BY GRIFFITH AND FARKAN. 

DURABLE NURSERY BOOKS. 

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5. Dame Trot and her Cat. 



6. History of an Apple Pie. 

7. House that Jack Built. 



8. Little Rhymes for Little 
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9. Mother Hubbard. 

10. Monkey's Frolic. 

11. Old Woman and her Pig. 

12. Puss in Boots. 

13. Tommy Trip's Museum of 

Birds, Part I. 
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BY THOMAS DARNELL. 

PARSING SIMPLIFIED : an Introduction and Companion to 
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By Thomas Darnell. Price 1*. cloth. 



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*** This series may also be had on very superior paper, marble covers, 
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